Final answer:
In the late 19th century, feminist ideas appeared in the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, and other early advocates for women's rights, underpinned by Enlightenment liberalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the late 19th century, the ideas before feminism occurred appeared in the writings of several key figures. Mary Wollstonecraft, an English writer and philosopher, is widely considered the first feminist thinker of consequence. Her seminal work "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792) argued for women's education and rationality. Additionally, the ideas of liberalism growing out of the Enlightenment, championed by thinkers like John Locke and Immanuel Kant, laid the groundwork for early feminist arguments. These philosophers introduced concepts about individual rights and equality that feminists later adapted to include women.
Furthermore, influential figures such as John Stuart Mill in England and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in the United States contributed to the development of feminist thought by writing and taking action on women's rights and suffrage. The rise of liberalism also helped pave the way for more progressive notions about the roles and rights of women within society.
First-wave feminism, which is marked by the fight for women's suffrage and legal equality, evolved from these early ideas. The Suffragettes in England, led by the Pankhurst family, were pivotal in this movement, exhibiting direct action and protest against the widespread discrimination and disenfranchisement of women at the time.