Towards Equality: A Study of the Legal Position of Women in the United States

The first laws governing the position of women in our country, apart from the customs of the Indians, were the laws of Spain. A century before any other European state obtained a foothold in the New World, Spain began the creation of an American colonial Empire (1). Although Spanish exploring activity commenced with the discovery of America - it was not until 1564 (2) with the founding of St. Augustine that a permanent settlement was effected within the present limits of the United States. This date therefore may be considered as marking the introduction of Spanish law into this region.