AMSCO AP United States History Exam (APUSH) – Period 4 Practice Test

The work recognized as a major critique of gender roles and a call for equal rights for women during the antebellum period is "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women" by Sarah Grimké. This text was crucial in articulating the arguments for women's equality and highlighting the societal constraints placed on women in the early 19th century. Grimké's letters addressed the legal, social, and economic issues faced by women, advocating for education and the right to participate fully in society.

While the "Declaration of Independence" presents fundamental principles of equality, it does not specifically address women's rights. The "Seneca Falls Declaration," or the Declaration of Sentiments, issued in 1848, further developed the critique of gender roles, but it came after Grimké’s work. "The Feminine Mystique," written by Betty Friedan in the 1960s, is significant for its examination of women's roles in post-World War II America but is not part of the antebellum period. Thus, "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Women" stands out as the first major text that directly confronted the limitations imposed on women during that earlier era.