The following is a list of feminist literature, listed by year of first publication, then within the year alphabetically by title (using the English title rather than the foreign language title if available/applicable). Books and magazines are in italics, all other types of literature are not and are in quotation marks. References lead when possible to a link to the full text of the literature.
14th century De Mulieribus Claris, Giovanni Boccaccio (1361–62) The Wife of Bath, Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)
15th century The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pisan () The Treasure of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pisan () The Tale of Joan of Arc, Christine de Pisan (1429)Joan of Arc – Maid of Heaven – Song of Joan of Arc by Christine de Pisan
16th century Orlando Furioso Canto 37, Ludovico Ariosto (1516-1532) The Superior Excellence of Women Over Men, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1529) The Defense of Good Women, Thomas Elyot (1545) La Nobiltà delle Donne, The Nobility of Women, Lodovico Domenichi (1549) Difese delle Donne, A Defence of Women, Domenico Bruni da Pistoia (1552) La bella e dotta difesa delle donne in verso, e prosa, di messer Luigi Dardano ... contra gli accusatori del sesso loro. Con un breue trattato di ammaestrare li figliuoli, The Beautiful and Learned Defence of Women in Verse, Prose ... against the detractors of their sex, with a brief tract to be administered to sons, Luigi Dardano (1553) Discorso sopra il Principio di Tutti I Canti di Orlando Furioso, Discourse on the Principles of all the Canti of Orlando Furioso, Laura Terracina (1583) Le Promenoir de M. de Montaigne qui traite de l'amour dans l'œuvre de Plutarque, Marie le Jars de Gournay (1584) Her Protection for Women, Jane Anger (1589)"Jane Anger her Protection for Women. To defend them against the scandalous reportes of a late Surfeiting Lover, and all other like Venerians that complaine so to bee overcloyed with women's kindnesse". A Celebration of Women Writers.
17th century The Worth of Women, Il Merito delle Donne, Moderata Fonte (1600) "Poem 92, called Philosophical Satire", Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1600s) The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men, Lucrezia Marinella (1601) A Muzzle for Melastomus, the Cynical Baiter of, and Foul-mouthed Barker Against Eve's Sex. Or An Apologetical Answer to that Irreligious and Illiterate Pamphlet Made by Jo. Sw. And By Him Entitled, "The Arraignment of Women", Rachel Speght (1617) Ester Hath Hang'd Haman: An Answer To a Lewd Pamphlet, Entitled "The Arraignment of Women," With the Arraignment of Lewd, Idle Forward, and Unconstant Men, and Husbands, Ester Sowernam (1617) Swetnam the Woman-Hater, Anonymous (1620) Égalité des hommes et des femmes, Marie Le Jars de Gournay (1622), translated into English as The Equality of Men and Women Grief des dames, Marie Le Jars de Gournay (1626), translated into English as The Ladies' Grievance Women's Speaking Justified, Proved, and Allowed of by the Scriptures, All such as speak by the Spirit and Power of the Lord Jesus. And how Women were the first that Preached the Tidings of the Resurrection of Jesus, and were sent by Christ's own Command, before he Ascended to the Father, John 20. 17., Margaret Fell (1667) An Essay to Revive the Antient [sic] Education of Gentlewomen in Religion, Manners, Arts & Tongues, with An Answer to the Objections Against this Way of Education., Bathsua Makin (1673) De l'égalité des deux sexes, François Poullain de la Barre (1673) De l'Éducation des dames pour la conduite de l'esprit dans les sciences et dans les mœurs, entretiens, François Poullain de la Barre (1674) La Princesse de Clèves, Madame de La Fayette (1678) Female Advocate or, an Answer to a Late Satyr Against the Pride, Lust and Inconstancy, &c. of Woman. Written by a Lady in Vindication of her Sex, Sarah Fyge Egerton (1686) A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, for the Advancement of Their True and Greatest Interest, Mary Astell (1694) An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex. In Which Are Inserted the Characters of a Pedant, a Squire, a Beau, a Vertuoso, a Poetaster, a City-Critick, &c. In a Letter to a Lady. Written by a Lady, Judith Drake (1697)s:An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex A Serious Proposal, Part II, Mary Astell (1697) The Adventure of the Black Lady, Aphra Behn (1697)
18th century Some Reflections Upon Marriage, Occasioned by the Duke and Dutchess of Mazarine's Case; Which is Also Considered., Mary Astell (1700) The Ladies' Defence, Or, a Dialogue Between Sir John Brute, Sir William Loveall, Melissa, and a Parson, Lady Mary Chudleigh (1701) The Education of Women, Daniel Defoe (1719) The Emulation, Sarah Fyge (1719) The Woman's Labour, Mary Collier (1739) Letters from a Peruvian Woman, Françoise de Graffigny (1747) The Female Quixote, Charlotte Lennox (1756) An Essay on Woman in Three Epistles, Mary Leapor (1763) Je ne sçai quoi: or, A collection of letters, odes, &c., Never before published. By a Lady, Anne B. Poyntz (1768/1769) Letters on Women's Rights, Abigail and John Adams (1776) Desultory Thoughts upon the Utility of Encouraging a Degree of Self-Complacency, Especially in Female Bosoms, Judith Sargent Murray (1784) Philosophie eines Weibs: Von einer Beobachterin, Marianne Ehrmann (1784) Mary: A Fiction, Mary Wollstonecraft (1788) Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King (1789) "Women's Petition to the [French] National Assembly" (1789) On the Admission of Women to the Rights of Citizenship, Marquis de Condorcet (1790) "On the Equality of the Sexes", Judith Sargent Murray, from The Massachusetts Magazine, or, Monthly Museum Concerning the Literature, History, Politics, Arts, Manners, Amusements of the Age, Vol. II (1790) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1791) Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen, Olympe de Gouges (1791) The Rights of Women [including the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen], Olympe de Gouges (1791) Breve difesa dei diritti delle donne scritta da Rosa Califronia contessa romana,, A Brief Defence of the Rights of Women of Rosa Califronia, Roman Countess, Rosa Califronia (1794) La causa delle donne. Discorso agl'italiani della cittadina, The Cause of Women, Discourse to Italians from a [Female] Citizen, Anonymous, (1797) Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1798)
19th century
1810s–1820s Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (1813) "An Address to the Public; Particularly to the Members of the Legislature of New-York, Proposing a Plan for Improving Female Education", Emma Willard (1819) "Men and Women; Brief Hypothesis concerning the Difference in their Genius", John Neal (1824) The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress, Elizabeth Caroline Grey (1828)
1830s Indiana, George Sand (pen name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) (1832) "Marriage Law Protest", Robert Dale Owen (1832) Valentine, George Sand (pen name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) (1832) Lélia, George Sand (pen name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) (1833) Jacques, George Sand (pen name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) (1834) The History of the Condition of Women in Various Ages and Nations, Lydia Maria Child (1835) Letters on the Equality of the Sexes, Sarah Grimke (1837) "Remarks Comprising in Substance Judge Hertell's Argument in the House of Assembly in the State of New York in the Session of 1837 in Support of the Bill to Restore to Married Women the 'Right of Property' as Guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States", Judge Thomas Hertell (1837) The Times that Try Men's Souls, Maria Weston Chapman (1837) Woman, Harriet Martineau (1837) On Marriage, Harriet Martineau (1838)
1840s "Rights of Women: The Substance of a Lecture Delivered by John Neal at the Tabernacle", John Neal (1843) The Great Lawsuit, Margaret Fuller (1843) Brief History of the Condition of Women: in Various Ages and Nations, Volume 2, Lydia Maria Child (1845) "The Rights and Condition of Women", Samuel May (1845)The rights and condition of women: a sermon, preached in Syracuse, Nov., 1845, by Samuel J. May Woman in the Nineteenth Century, Margaret Fuller (1845) Poganka (The Heathen Woman), by Narcyza Żmichowska (1846)Maria Woźniakiewicz-Dziadosz, Dzieje przyjaźni entuzjastek w świetle listów Narcyzy Żmichowskiej do Bibianny Moraczewskiej Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë (1847) Pittsburgh Saturday Visiter, women's rights and abolitionist paper founded by Jane Swisshelm "Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions", Elizabeth Cady Stanton (main author) (1848) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë (1848) "Voting Rights Speech", Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1848) "Discourse on Woman", Lucretia Mott (1849) The Lily, newspaper published by Amelia Bloomer (1849)
1850s The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850) Woman and Her Needs, Elizabeth Oakes Smith (1850–1851) Ain't I a Woman? speech, Sojourner Truth (1851) "Enfranchisement of Women", Harriet Taylor Mill, from the Westminster Review (1851) "Speech at the National Woman's Rights Convention", Ernestine Rose (1851) "The Responsibilities of Woman", Clarina Howard Nichols (1851) "Cassandra", Florence Nightingale (1852) "Speech at the National Woman's Rights Convention", Matilda Joslyn Gage (1852) Die Deutsche Frauen-Zeitung, German-language women's rights journal published by Mathilde Franziska Anneke (1852) Villette, Charlotte Brontë (1853) What Time of Night It Is, Sojourner Truth (1853) Women's Rights, William Lloyd Garrison (1853) The Una, feminist periodical published by Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis (1853) "A Brief Summary in Plain Language of the Most Important Laws Concerning Women", Barbara Bodichon (1854) "Address to the Legislature of New York", Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1854) "English Laws for Women in the Nineteenth Century", Caroline Norton (1854) "A Letter to the Queen On Lord Chancellor Cranworth's Marriage and Divorce Bill", Caroline Norton (1855) Marriage of Lucy Stone Under Protest, Lucy Stone, Rev. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and Henry Blackwell (1855) "The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids", Herman Melville (1855) Ruth Hall, Fanny Fern (1855) "The Right of Women to Exercise the Elective Franchise", Agnes Pochin (1855) Hertha, Fredrika Bremer (1856) "Consistent democracy. The elective franchise for women. Twenty-five testimonies of prominent men, viz: ex-Gov. Anthony of R.I., Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Wm.H. Channing [etc.]" (1858)Votes for Women: Selections from the National American Woman Suffrage Association Collection, 1848-1921 "Female Ministry, Or, Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel", Catherine Booth (1859) "Ought Women to Learn the Alphabet?", Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1859)"Ought Women to Learn the Alphabet?", The Atlantic.
1860s "A Practical Illustration of 'Woman's Right to Labor;' or, A Letter from Marie E. Zakrzewska, M.D., Late of Berlin, Prussia", edited by Caroline H. Dall (1860)A Practical Illustration of "Woman's Right to Labor; or, A Letter from Marie E. Zakrzewska", 1960. A Slave's Appeal, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1860) Female Teaching, Catherine Booth (1861) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs (1861) "A Woman's Philosophy of Woman; or Woman Affranchised. An Answer to Michelet, Proudhon, Girardin, Legouve, Comte, and Other Modern Innovators", Jenny d'Héricourt (1864) A Long Fatal Love Chase, Louisa May Alcott (1866) "Objections to the Enfranchisement of Women Considered", Barbara Bodichon (1866) The Higher Education of Women, Emily Davies (1866) "Address To The First Anniversary Of The American Equal Rights Association", Frances D. Gage (1867) "Keeping the Thing Going While Things Are Stirring", Sojourner Truth (1867) Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (1868) "The Destructive Male", Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1868) "The Education and Employment of Women", Josephine Butler (1868)