when could women own property in the usa

[RiverLee]

Women's property rights in the U.S. were a gradual process that began in the mid-1800s with Married Women's Property Acts in states like Mississippi (1839) and New York (1848), gradually giving married women control over their own property, earnings, and inheritances. By 1900, every state had passed similar legislation, but significant financial discrimination persisted, such as the requirement for a male co-signer on mortgages. These barriers were removed more broadly in 1974 with the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.