Final answer:
In the 1800s, unmarried women in America had more rights than married women due to the legal status of coverture, which restricted married women's legal and economic freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1800s, unmarried women in the United States had more rights than married women. Married women at the time were bound by a legal concept known as coverture, which significantly restricted their legal and economic freedom. Under this concept, a married woman (feme covert) had no separate legal identity from her husband, eliminating her ability to own property, conduct business independently, or control wealth she brought into the marriage. Conversely, single women and widows had more property rights and, to some extent, economic autonomy, although this did not equate to full political rights such as voting.