Wollstonecraft used her own experience as the foundation of much of her writings. Thus remembering the effect of primogeniture on her own family, she highlighted the devastating consequences it could have on women, questioned the positioning of men ahead of women in families, and pointed out the inequalities in education that forced many women into positions of subservience and dependence. Wollstonecraft wanted women to be equal to men both within society and within personal relationships. Although she is remembered chiefly for her feminism, her philosophy is not simply restricted to women's issues since she championed radical theories in education.
Mary Wollstonecraft was born in London on 27 April 1757. She was the second child of seven of John Edward Wollstonecraft and Elizabeth Dickson. Wollstonecraft's early experiences did much to determine her later ideas. Her elder brother, Edward ("Ned"), was the family favorite, which Wollstonecraft bitterly resented. Her childhood was beset by financial worries and emotional insecurities. Her father, who ruled the family in a despotic fashion, was no businessman and, despite trying his hand at various farming enterprises, succeeded only in squandering all his inheritance. These ventures necessitated the family's moving frequently in the period from 1759 to 1768, including to Epping and Barking.
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