Which central beliefs in society did nineteenth-century women's rights reformers challenge?

• A. The idea that women were naturally suited only for domestic roles and lacked the capacity for political participation
• B. The belief that industrialization would improve working conditions for all citizens
• C. The notion that religious institutions should be separate from government
• D. The assumption that technological progress was the primary driver of social change

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key focus of nineteenth-century women's rights reformers, which was to challenge societal beliefs about women's roles and capacities.
2. Understand that during the nineteenth century, a dominant belief was that women were naturally suited only for domestic roles, such as homemaking and child-rearing.
3. Recognize that reformers contested the idea that women lacked the intellectual and moral capacity to participate in political life, including voting and holding office.
4. Distinguish this challenged belief from other societal ideas of the time, such as views on industrialization, religion, or technological progress, which were not the primary focus of women's rights reformers.
5. Conclude that the central belief challenged was the notion that women's roles should be confined to the domestic sphere and that they were unfit for political participation.