America is the land of opportunity. It is a place of rebirth, hope, and freedom. However, it was not always like that for women. Many times in history women were oppressed, belittled, and deprived of the opportunity to learn and work in their desired profession. Instead, their life was confined to the home and family. While this was a noble role, many females felt that they were being restricted and therefore desired more independence. In America, women started to break the mold in 1848 and continued to push for social, political, educational, and career freedom. By the 1920s, women had experienced significant “liberation”, as they were then allowed to vote, hold public office, gain a higher education, obtain new jobs, drastically change their appearance, and participate in entertainment and sports. However, there are some that say that females were still suppressed by the advertising industry and stereotypes. But even with those setbacks, women achieved a new way of life that affected the entire nation. A common misconception is that no women were allowed to vote before the 19th Amendment. In reality, females in most western states had been granted full suffrage as early as 1869, starting with Wyoming. Why did women’s voting rights first become recognized in the West? As a wild frontier, the West expanded the roles of women as they struggled to survive in the harsh environment. Gone was the socialite who attended parties, trailed her husband, and kept a nice house. In her place was a tough and weathered woman that, out of necessity, had to help run the ranches, plant the crops, manage the farm, and supervise the cattle as well as perform her customary roles as a mother and homemaker. In this sense women worked harder than men... ... middle of paper ... ... the Western Frontier.” http://denise-moore.suite10 1.com/women-and-the-western-frontier-a184356 (accessed March 28, 2012) Britannica – Academic Edition. “Woman Suffrage.” http://www.britannica.com.byui.idm.oclc .org/EBchecked/topic/646779/woman-suffrage (accessed March 28, 2012) NC Pedia. “Women in the 1920s – A New Woman Emerges.” http://ncpedia.org/history/20th- Century/1920s-women (accessed March 27, 2012) Rutgers - Center for American Women and Politics. “Firsts for Women in U.S. Politics.” http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/resources/First.php (accessed March 29, 2012) Wikipedia. “1920s in Fashion.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920s_in_fashion (accessed March 29, 2012) Wikipedia. “Women’s Suffrage in the United States.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27_ suffrage_in_the_United_States (accessed March 27, 2012)
To begin with, there are many events in United States history that have shaped our general understanding of women’s involvement in economics, politics, the debates of gender and sexuality, and so forth. Women for many centuries have not been seen as a significant part of history, however under thorough analyzation of certain events, there are many women and woman-based events responsible for the progressiveness we experience in our daily lives as men, women, children, and individuals altogether. Many of these events aid people today to reflect on the treatment of current individuals today and to raise awareness to significant issues that were not resolved or acknowledged in the past.
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.
Constantly serving as a critical topic of discussion throughout centuries of history, the celebration of women’s rights and the steps taken to achieve this ideal around different regions of the world has set the foundation for the perceptions of females today. In the United States, women’s rights conferences were held as early as the mid-1800s and entirely manifested into a movement in the 1920s when women were officially granted suffrage, or the right to vote in political elections, at a national level. Along with utilizing this newly gained privilege to have their voices be heard in political affairs, women also began to taking steps to be seen in society too, adopting the styles and mannerisms of a flapper – a young, fashionable American
Frederick Lewis Allen, in his famous chronicle of the 1920s Only Yesterday, contended that women’s “growing independence” had accelerated a “revolution in manners and morals” in American society (95). The 1920s did bring significant changes to the lives of American women. World War I, industrialization, suffrage, urbanization, and birth control increased women’s economic, political, and sexual freedom. However, with these advances came pressure to conform to powerful but contradictory archetypes. Women were expected to be both flapper and wife, sex object and mother. Furthermore, Hollywood and the emerging “science” of advertising increasingly tied conceptions of femininity to a specific standard of physical beauty attainable by few. By 1930, American women (especially affluent whites) had won newfound power and independence, but still lived in a sexist culture where their gender limited their opportunities and defined their place in society.
In the 1920's women's roles were soon starting to change. After World War One it was called the "Jazz Age", known for new music and dancing styles. It was also known as the "Golden Twenties" or "Roaring Twenties" and everyone seemed to have money. Both single and married women we earning higher- paying jobs. Women were much more than just staying home with their kids and doing house work. They become independent both financially and literally. Women also earned the right to vote in 1920 after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted. They worked hard for the same or greater equality as men and while all this was going on they also brought out a new style known as the flapper. All this brought them much much closer to their goal.
Women of the 1920's Women during the 1920's lifestyle, fashion, and morals were very different than women before the 1920's. Flappers became the new big thing after the 19th amendment was passed. Women's morals were loosened, clothing and haircuts got shorter, and fashion had a huge role in these young women. Women before the 1920's were very different from the women of the Roarin' 20's. Gwen Hoerr Jordan stated that the ladies before the 1920's wore dresses that covered up most of their skin, had pinned up long hair, were very modest, had chaperones and had men make all of their decisions (1).
As progressive era reforms advanced from the 1880s to t 1920s, women took on a significant role in political change with specific regard to the ratification of the 19th amendment and social conditions with emphasis on women’s reproductive rights and restraint from alcohol.
It is well known that the years of 1920-1929 following the first World War have been referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”. I believe that the term “Roaring” has been associated with these years because they were years of great progression for Canada. When the name for this era is used, people often envision a time in which things began to look better for the Canadian society. With the war finally over, newly gained independence, the uprise of technology, and a mostly prosperous economy, these years were seen as years of optimism for Canada. Women in Canada were given rights, they finally began to be treated like equals, and women all over began breaking the typical customary view of women's roles in society.
The roar in entertainment, the improvements in technology, and the rights that women have today, are all because of the events of the 1920’s. However,
In conclusion, women throughout the decades have strived, from protesting to going on trials, to point out their rights. “Will women soon be treated equally as men?” A day when women and men having the same rights is still under way and has a far way to go as from the antebellum period. However, what makes women so unique, especially during this era is the numerous of contributions these respectful woman played a part of in order to see dramatic changes in America’s society. Some of the extraordinary ideas developed by them explains the success leading into what we call America today. Therefore, it is proven that women are certainly not helpless species, but are useful citizens who aroused much commitment for their “race” and nation.
Before the 19th Amendment, the opinion of the woman was not reflected in politics. In 1790, only white male property-owners were accepted to participate at first in American democracy. However, the women’s right to vote was completely accepted in 1920. Why has 19th Amendment taken so long time? In 1869, Susan and Elizabe...
It is no secret that no matter how much women continue to strive in the workplace, politics, etc., inequality will always persist. Throughout American history, the oppression of women has caused an adverse effect on humanity. Some men believed that embracing women as worthy of equal opportunities was a threat to them, as all the rules would be changing. However, the 1900s witnessed a change in that trend, as women started to fight and stand up for their rights. Women have stood on the frontline of this conflict, but at the end of the day they are only requesting “The power or privilege to which one is justly entitled” So, how did women’s role in society evolve from 1919 to 1941?
"Women Get the Vote." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, Et Al. Vol. 3: 1920-1929. Detroit: Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.
The 1920’s allowed women who never had their own voice to be reborn and to realize their roles in society. The decade will forever live on. Works Cited Carlisle, Rodney P. Handbook To Life In America. Volume VI, The Roaring Twenties, 1920 To 1929. Facts on File, 2009.
The roles of women changed drastically between 1950’s and 1970’s due to the political, economic, and social issues, but women’s lives also stayed close to the way they had always been. The lives of women changed in a plethora of ways throughout the years. “We believe that women can achieve such equality only by accepting to full the challenges and responsibilities they share with all other people in our society, as part of the decision-making mainstream of American political, economic, and social life” (Statement of Purpose, 1966).