Ferraro and Feminism
Being a woman in the nineteen hundreds was very stereotypical. Women did not have much freedom or luck in choosing a career back then. Geraldine Ferraro went above and beyond for women’s expectations, becoming a pioneer for woman in politics. She forcefully proved that any job a man can do, a woman can do better. Geraldine Ferraro became a powerful symbol to the feminist movement, her career accomplishments broke the grass ceiling for women to take on stereotypical men jobs and roles. She became one of the first few female American attorneys and a Democratic Party Politician. She was also a member of the United States House of Representatives and became the first congresswoman from Queens, New York; but most importantly
An admissions counselor told her while attempting to enroll that: "I hope you're serious, Gerry. You're taking a man's place, you know." (Ferraro, 91). Against all odds with her going to law school to get a “man’s” job, she graduated with the only other woman in her class of 179 students. Earning a Juris Doctor Degree with honors from Fordham University in 1960, she was accepted to the bar of New York State the next year. Geraldine’s cousin Nicholas Ferraro who was a district attorney at the time, asked her if she would be interested in the position of assistant district attorney. She gladly accepted in 1974 and went on to work in the Special Victims Bureau the next year, earning a reputation for her hard and dedicated work. Working in the Bureau changed her views on politics, she converted from a moderate to a liberal. Due to unfair wages and tiring work, Geraldine decided to dive into the world of politics and left the Bureau in
The Democratic campaign came to a sudden pause when Geraldine’s husband, John Zaccaro; was accused of fraudulent real estate transactions, and was later convicted a few months after the election in 1985. The allegations of her husband made a negative impact on the Democratic Party, which contributed to the reason they lost the election:
“The popularity of President Ronald Reagan (1911–) with the voters, however, resulted in a solid reelection victory. Mondale and Ferraro received only 41 percent of the popular vote and thirteen electoral votes (from Minnesota and the District of Columbia). Mondale was hurt most by his plan to raise taxes and his unclearly defined economic program. Ferraro's main problem as a candidate was the investigation of her husband John Zaccaro's real estate business and tax records. The gender gap had not made the difference that the Democrats had hoped for.”
The role of American women has changed significantly from the time the nation was born, to the modern era of the 1950s and 1960s. Many people, "... believed that women's talent and energies ... would be put to the better [use] in the new republic." (Clinton 3) Clearly showing that society has seen the importance of the women's talents and that their skills can be very useful, exploited this and thus, the change of the women's role was inevitable. Society has understood that the roles of women played an important role on all parts of life.
Despite the law she began to travel and lecture across the nation for the women's right to vote. She also campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property and retain their earnings, and she advocated for women's labor organizations.
The role of women in American history has evolved a great deal over the past few centuries. In less than a hundred years, the role of women has moved from housewife to highly paid corporate executive to political leader. As events in history have shaped the present world, one can find hidden in such moments, pivotal points that catapult destiny into an unforeseen direction. This paper will examine one such pivotal moment, fashioned from the fictitious character known as ‘Rosie the Riveter’ who represented the powerful working class women during World War II and how her personification has helped shape the future lives of women.
O’Connor was born on March 26th, 1930 in Texas. She graduated Stanford University in 1950, where she studied economics. She then received her Bachelors of Law from Stanford Law School. She finished third in her class. After graduating law school she was denied interviews by many law firms solely because she was a woman.
On November 1912, women won the right to vote in Arizona. This period of time marked a lot of changes for women and politics in Arizona. Women had to struggle against a male dominated society that influenced their vote despite their new freedom to vote as they saw fit. The right to vote eventually led to a proliferation of women running for local, state, and national offices. Those running for office faced skepticism about their capabilities as a politician, concern over whether they had the drive, intelligence, and strength to face down opponents within the political arena. Despite these obstacles, women have proven to be successful politicians and have infiltrated the ranks of male dominated government systems, both within states and nationwide. Today, women are virtually equal to men as far as their capabilities are concerned, yet are still under-represented in the national political scene. By reviewing a brief history of a few women in politics in Arizona and examining current political themes, a platform is formed that allows an understanding and recognition of the struggles and progression of women in politics today.
Following the years of Congressional Reconstruction during the Johnson administration, former Union General Ulysses S. Grant was elected president, despite his lack of political experience. Although Grant was an excellent soldier, he proved to be an insufficient politician, failing to respond effectively to rampant corruption throughout his two terms in office. Both government and businesses were plagued by corrupt schemes, as Republican leaders used the spoils system to gain political favors and “robber barons,” such as Jay Gould and James Fisk, stole large sums of money at the public’s expense. New York Mayor William “Boss” Tweed, leader of the “Tammany Hall” political machine, took advantage of the influx of immigrants to the United States by manipulating newly arrived immigrants, promising employment, housing, and other favors in return for their electoral support. This blatant corruption severely damaged the opinions of many Americans regarding their government, and prompted the election of numerous reform-minded politicians. Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield both attempted to restore honest government following the tainted Grant administration, yet political divisions between the “Halfbreed” and “Stalwart” factions of the Republican Party prev...
Throughout history, women have always fought to gain equal political rights, but conventional roles kept women from getting enough political representation. Many suffrage groups founded by women challenged the conventional roles of women during 1840 to 1968 with the dream of obtaining equal political representation. In 1919, the nineteenth amendment, drafted by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was passed. The 19th amendment has been desired by many women for years. Although the 19th amendment passed and women thought that they were able to be equal in politics, many women did not get equal political representation due to their conventional roles at the time period. Women were not able to achieve high roles in politics, shown through the fact that there has never been a woman president in the history of the United States. The presidency of women did not occur due to the perceptions that generally, women should be protected and hidden, not out in the open and leadin...
Margaret Chase Smith began her political career when a woman in Congress was a rarity. She won her first seat in the US House after the death of her husband in 1940. In 1949, Smith won a seat in the United States Senate and became the first woman to be in both houses of the Congress . At this time, the Senate floor did not have a woman’s restroom . However, Smith refused to believe that her gender made a difference in her career in politics .
Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. These women lived at the turn of the century, and fought vehemently for a cause they believed in. They knew that they were being discriminated against because of their gender, and they refused to take it. These pioneers of feminism paved the road for further reform, and changed the very fabric of our society.
Schneider, Dorothy. American Women in the Progressive Era 1900-1920. New York: Facts on File, 1993.
Salokar, R. M., & Volcansek, M. L. (1996). Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In R. M. Salokar, & M. L. Volcansek, Women in Law: A Bio-Bibliographical Sourcebook (pp. 78-85). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
It could be said that Alyssa Bustamante is a political prisoner because of the act of murder of a nine year Elizabeth Preiss. During trial defense attor...
In the history of women’s rights, and their leaders, few can compare with the determination and success of Lucy Stone. While many remember Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony for being the most active fighters for women’s rights, perhaps Stone is even more important. The major goal for women in this time period was gaining women’s suffrage. That is what many remember or associate with the convention at Seneca Falls.
A supporter of Doe named Charles Taylor was charged with embezzlement and fled to the United States. He was later
...set examples for future generations and have shed light on the feminist movement in the U.S.