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Women and ww1 america
Women and ww1 america
Women's suffrage eassay
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Autumn Brienne Young
Mrs. Strong
English III
23 October 2016
Women’s Suffrage
Prior to the 1920’s, American women faced many decades of unfairness and inequality. They were not given most of the privileges and opportunities that men were. They had little to no authority and were treated disrespectfully by men. Women, their children, and their belongings were considered the property of their husbands and they had nearly complete power over them. However, between the mid 1910’s to the early 1920’s, things started to turn more towards women’s favor. Many women fought tirelessly throughout the entirety of their lives for the respect they deserved and by the mid 1920’s, women in the United States discovered new rights and an entirely new status
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in society. Before any major events supporting women’s rights took place in America in the 1910’s, women had dealt with plenty of inequality between the sexes. Their life tended to center around the farm and their family. Women were thought to be weaker than men, and therefore couldn’t work the same jobs as them. Joyce Bryant of The Yale-New Haven Teacher’s Institute wrote that many women worked side by side with their spouses without being given the ability to share in any of the political power with them. (“How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States”) She continued on to say that middle class women continued to perform their traditional work, but it wasn’t considered real work, because unlike men, they didn’t earn any money. “Women swept, scrubbed, polished, made their own brooms, soap and polish. They carried water, made starch, ironed, carried firewood, built fires, and made candles. They sewed and made everything and they were usually in charge of the family bookkeeping… Women kept gardens and every fall canned and preserved vast amounts of homegrown fruits and vegetables. They ran home bakeries and dairies, did the milking, made butter and kept the hen yard… They were blacksmiths, silversmiths, and sail makers, tailors, painters, and wheelwrights and shopkeepers of every sort. They became nurses, unlicensed physicians and midwives.” (Bryant, “How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States”) Women could’ve worked all day long, but yet in the eyes of the rest of society, they did not work. They contributed just as much to society as men did, but yet men were still considered superior and women were described as nothing more than their husbands “better half.” However, World War I opened American women up to many new opportunities and responsibilities.
Since the majority of the men were off fighting in the war, women were given the chance to assume jobs vacated by men in the workforce. Their influence and impact on society increased quickly and dramatically in the absence of men, seeing as they were the only ones able to perform their previous duties. Nonetheless, the unfairness continued on. “They received lower wages for doing the same work, and thus began some of the earliest demands for equal pay.” (“World War I: 1914-1918”) They risked their lives daily working in harmful conditions without proper protective clothing or knowledge of required safety measures, but yet despite all of the laborious work they were doing, men still took advantage of women and their hard work, simply due to their gender. Eventually they grew tired of the mistreatment and went on strike, finally winning a minimum wage for women the first time in history, doubling their pay. (“World War I: 1914-1918”) The determination of these women increased support for the suffrage movement, which ultimately led to the nineteenth …show more content…
amendment. Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote in presidential elections, which was huge issue for American women at the time. Some of the most influential leaders of the suffrage movement included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Lucretia Mott. The first gathering devoted to women’s rights was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. Approximately two thirds of the people in attendance were female. Soon thereafter, Stanton met Susan B. Anthony and they immediately teamed up as activists dedicated to supporting women. Together they spent a lifetime fighting for basic economic freedoms for women. “Initially, women reformers addressed social and institutional barriers that limited women’s rights including: family responsibilities, a lack of education and economic opportunities and the absence of a voice in political debates.” (“The Women’s Rights Movement, 1848-1920”) Stanton and Anthony even eventually created the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and Lucy Stone is responsible for the formation of the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Although the two groups had differing ideas and tended to clash with each other, they were ultimately aiming for the same goal and were both crucial to getting to where America is today. They fought tirelessly to include women in basic citizenship and voting amendments. These activists led the way to many aspects of our current society and are still considered the “foremothers” of women’s equality today. They ultimately paved the road to the nineteenth amendment. The nineteenth amendment was a huge milestone for women in America.
“By 1916, almost all of the major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment.” (“19th Amendment to the US Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote”) The nineteenth amendment, first introduced to congress in 1878, would officially guarantee all American women the right to vote. “Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on August 26, 1920, changing the face of the American electorate forever.” (“19th Amendment to the US Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote”) Generations upon generations of Americans had fought for this and all of the decades of hard work from the suffrage organizations had finally paid off.
The 1920’s brought along many very necessary changes regarding rights and America wouldn’t be where it is today without the essential improvements. These events influenced America because they gave women opportunities for a better education, which ultimately led to women writing books and sharing their stories. Their voices are now heard thanks to these courageous American women activists that dedicated their lives to getting society to where it is
today. Works Cited “World War 1: 1914-1918.” Striking Women, http://striking-women.org/module/women-and- work/world-war-i-1914-1918. Accessed 19 October 2016. Bryant, Joyce. “How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States.” Yale- New Haven Teachers Institute, http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/2002/3/02.03.09.x.html. Accessed 19 October 2016. “19th Amendment to the US Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote.” Our Documents, https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=63. Accessed 19 October 2016. “The Women’s Rights Movement, 1848-1920.” History, Art, & Archives, http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No- Lady/Womens-Rights/. Accessed 19 October 2016.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” (Elizabeth, 1815). The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gave women a right to vote as well as men. The movement to give the right to vote for women through the 19th Amendment was a Suffrage movement. The Suffrage movement had continued since the Civil War, but the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment (it is related to the right to citizen) did not cover the right to vote for women. The 19th Amendment and the Suffrage movement have changed the lives of women in society.
In the 19th century women began to take action to change their rights and way of life. Women in most states were incapable to control their own wages, legally operate their own property, or sign legal documents such as wills. Although demoted towards their own private domain and quite powerless, some women took edge and became involved in parts of reform such as temperance and abolition. Therefore this ultimately opened the way for women to come together in an organized movement to battle for their own rights in such ways as equal education, labor, legal reform, and the occupations. As stated in the nineteenth amendment, a constitutional revision that established women’s citizen rights to vote.
After the success of antislavery movement in the early nineteenth century, activist women in the United States took another step toward claiming themselves a voice in politics. They were known as the suffragists. It took those women a lot of efforts and some decades to seek for the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. In her essay “The Next Generation of Suffragists: Harriot Stanton Blatch and Grassroots Politics,” Ellen Carol Dubois notes some hardships American suffragists faced in order to achieve the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. Along with that essay, the film Iron-Jawed Angels somehow helps to paint a vivid image of the obstacles in the fight for women’s suffrage. In the essay “Gender at Work: The Sexual Division of Labor during World War II,” Ruth Milkman highlights the segregation between men and women at works during wartime some decades after the success of women suffrage movement. Similarly, women in the Glamour Girls of 1943 were segregated by men that they could only do the jobs temporarily and would not able to go back to work once the war over. In other words, many American women did help to claim themselves a voice by voting and giving hands in World War II but they were not fully great enough to change the public eyes about women.
Linder, Doug (2007). Women's Fight for the Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment. October 8, 2007, from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/nineteentham.htm.
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 were granted the right to work in labor industries, as all the men joined in the World Wars. Even though women were still discriminated in the workforce by receiving lower pay than men, the number of women working increased around the United States. After women began changing the labor industries, their voting rights were granted, changing the political views of the United States. Even though women were discriminated against throughout society in the 1920’s, they still fought for their rights as women that deserved an important role within our society. This change in women’s attitude has influenced women across the world to value themselves and their importance.
On August 18, 1920 the nineteenth amendment was fully ratified. It was now legal for women to vote on Election Day in the United States. When Election Day came around in 1920 women across the nation filled the voting booths. They finally had a chance to vote for what they thought was best. Not only did they get the right to vote but they also got many other social and economic rights. They were more highly thought of. Some people may still have not agreed with this but they couldn’t do anything about it now. Now that they had the right to vote women did not rush into anything they took their time of the right they had.
In August 18, 1920, the U.S. Constitution Granted U.S. women a right. That was the right of vote. In American history women had no right to vote or be part of government. They were born to be at home and do the house choir and motherhood. They had no right to educate or go out, thus the 19th amendment was approved that gave the women the right to vote (Matthew, 2017). Having the right of votes for women was not easy. It was given to them after years of fighting and struggling, after fighting and protesting so long for their rights they were finally victorious. Women in America were finally given their rights. One of the most important freedom given to women in 19th amendment is their rights. This essay will investigate how women were given the right to be equality, the right to vote and be part of government, and also, how this amendment affected the lives of women.
... In conclusion, women throughout the decades have strived, from protesting to going on trials, to pointing 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 of the antebellum period. However, what makes women so unique, especially during this era, is the numerous of contributions these respectful women played a part in in order to see dramatic changes in America’s society.
the Nineteenth Amendment were signed into the Constitution, there granting women the rights to vote.
The entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). Over the next 100 years, many women played a part in supporting equal treatment for women, most notably leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed women the right to vote.
Before the 1920s men and women were thought to have two separate roles in life. People believed women should be concerned with their children, home, and religion, while men took care of business and politics. In 1920 there were significant changes for women in politics, the home, and the workplace. When the 19th amendment passed it gave women the right to vote. “Though slowly to use their newly won voting rights, by the end of the decade women were represented local, state, and national political committees and were influencing the political agenda of the federal government.” Now a days it’s normal for women to be involved in politics and it’s normal for women to vote. Another drastic change
Women's activism has brought and is continuously causing changes in the country that are more liberating and emancipating of the women's rights and place in the society. With the help of brave, bold, and principled women, the status and roles of women in the nation have become more meaningful. Indeed, the 20th century was a turning point in the lives of many women. This was the time when women battled against the oppressions brought by patriarchy through crusading for the promotion of their civil rights, sexual freedom, and pursuing careers which were once forbidden to them.
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).
The 20th century brought a tidal wave of tolerance and equal rights for a diverse variety of people in the United States. When the century opened, women did not have an equal position with their male counter parts either in the public or private sectors of society. Women first received their right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920, and the beginnings of an equal footing in the workplace during the obligatory utilization of American women as factory employees during the Second World War. Similarly, African Americans spent the 1950's and 60's fighting for their own basic civil rights that had been denied them, such as going to the school or restaurant of their choice. Or something as simple and unpretentious as where they were allowed to sit on a bus. However, by the end of the 20th Century, women, blacks, and other minorities could be found in the highest echelons of American Society. From the corporate offices of IBM, to the U.S. Supreme Court bench, an obvious ideological revolution bringing ...