Judith Drake facts for kids

Judith Drake was an English writer and thinker who was active in the late 1600s and early 1700s. She was part of a group of smart people, writers, and philosophers. This group included well-known figures like Mary Astell and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Judith Drake was married to James Drake, a doctor and a political writer for the Tory party. She is best known for her 1696 essay, An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex. This book is important in the history of ideas about women's rights.

Women Writers in the Late 1600s

When Judith Drake and other thinkers started writing, there were not many women authors. They often faced criticism. Around this time, rules about what could be printed became less strict. This gave some women a chance to publish their thoughts on relationships between men and women. Because of their efforts, and more women learning to read, the topic of women's roles became a big discussion in the world of books and ideas.

An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex

The full title of Drake's famous book was An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex, In Which are Inserted the Characters of a Pendant, a Squire, a Beau, a Vertuoso, a Poetaster, a City-Critick, &C.. It was written as a letter to a female friend. The book was first published in London in 1696. The author was only listed as "a Lady." For many years, people thought Mary Astell wrote it. She was another writer of that time. But now, we know for sure that Judith Drake was the author.

What the Essay is About

The Essay was inspired by a conversation between some men and women. Drake first explained the common ideas of her time about why women were thought to be less intelligent. She used ideas from John Locke's book An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Then, she showed that these ideas were old-fashioned. She argued that in modern times, women would gain a lot from having more knowledge.

Drake also wrote funny descriptions of different types of men. These included the Pedant (someone who shows off their knowledge), the Country Squire (a rich landowner), and the Beau (a fashionable man). She used these examples to remind her readers that men also had their silly habits.

Drake's Arguments for Women

Judith Drake used the "new science" of her day to support her points. She talked to doctors. They told her that their studies of the human body showed no physical differences between men and women that would affect the mind. Drake also gave examples from nature. She pointed out that male and female animals often showed equal wisdom.

She also argued that a person's social background mattered more than their gender for intelligence. For example, a man and a woman from the same background are more similar in ability than two men from very different backgrounds. One might be a wealthy gentleman and the other a poor farmer.

Drake suggested that maybe women were created to think, while stronger men were meant for physical work. She asked why women could not do jobs like accounting. These jobs needed brainpower, not physical strength. Drake combined her Tory political ideas with Locke's philosophy. She created an early vision for society where women could help make things better in uncertain times.

Similar Ideas of the Time

Many of Drake's ideas were similar to other women writers of her time. For example, Drake wrote in her Essay, "Women, like our Negroes in our western plantations, are born slaves, and live prisoners all their lives." This idea was also shared by Mary Astell and Lady Mary Chudleigh. Drake believed that in a marriage, a woman often acted like a servant to her husband. Overall, her work joined the main concern of women at that time: getting a good education.

Judith Drake's work was criticized by famous writers like Jonathan Swift, Susanna Centlivre, and Colley Cibber. We don't know of any other books or essays written by Drake that still exist today. However, it's possible she published other works using different names, as many women writers did back then.