In the middle of the 20th century, women were at a cultural crossroads in American society. Work or not to work? Ration or consumption - a ration? These very concerns were a hot debate across the nation at the time, as women of this period were expected of nothing more than keeping the house and raising children, but the goliath that was World War II opened up opportunities in manufacturing and other non-traditional jobs for women because of the fact that there was no men to fill these vacancies. Many women upon hearing Congresswoman’s Clare Boothe Luce’s speech in September of 1942 directed to the women’s banking committee were motivated to fill these spots that men normally would’ve worked at.
Introduction: Thesis: The 1920s was an era of dramatic social and political change that brought along the greatest change for women. After World War I, the image of women completely transformed and the changing attitudes of America, allowed them to enroll in colleges, enter the workforce, participate in politics and play a greater role in society and public life. Paragraph I: Before 1920s Paragraph II:
In April of 1966, James Brown sang that “this is a man’s world”, however only four decades before women had been working to prove their value and social power, by challenging the social norms, and showing that it truly would be nothing with the women of the nation. Though, in reality, to what extent did they challenge the social norms of their time? There were limitations facing the women of the 1920s regardless they changed society for the better. Even before the 1920s, women were making a new name for themselves in society. The First World War was a pivotal moment for women’s social status.
Women’s ongoing fight for equality from the 1920s to the 1970s was reflected through their attire. The 1920s were marked by the shockingly short hemlines and their right to vote. While women struggled to get fair pay in the 1930s, they got hired more often than men, which gave them greater independence. However, due to the gloom of the Great Depression, women lost their confidence and their clothing became more conservative. By contrast, the 1940s provided greater opportunities as the United States went to war.
One of the reasons women’s lives did not change in the 1920s was their lack of involvement in the government. The right to vote was given to women with the Nineteenth Amendment, but that did not alter their lives very much. Numerous women during this time voted the same way that their husbands or fathers did, partly because there weren’t many female candidates (Gorman). Women also voted in smaller
Industrialization in the United States created increased employment opportunities in factories and metropolitan regions, liberating women from conventional homemaking responsibilities. Consequently, women sought independent lives, gaining financial independence and personal expression (Source 4). Women from various racial and cultural backgrounds, particularly those from working-class neighborhoods, entered the workforce, advocating for better working conditions and fair pay. These advancements shattered preconceived notions of gender roles, laying the groundwork for future women's rights
The 1930’s was an important time for women, they had to become who they and to try not to worry about what others think or how they feel women should be. Women were treated poorly in the 1930’s, they had to face all of the conventional images that people had of them, women also had to deal with low wages and everyone believing they were taking jobs from men; however, there were many important women in the 1930’s work on the behalf of other women. Even though women are treated poorly they still do want they believe instead of what others say or believe. Many single women were college educated in the 1930’s( Gale Group). The women that were college educated wanted to get a career and make there own money.
The 1920s represented the post-suffrage era when women made drastic social and cultural changes that affected the American women way of life. Women began to seek more rightsand equal representation through changes in social values. However, women still observed their primary responsibility for caring for the household; and also depended on men for monetary support (Martin, 1926). The essay brings into perspective, various transformations that took place in the 1920s, resulting in the diversion of the traditional norms.
A majority of the working class voted Democratic through 1896-1944 and so did many southern whites. Many immigrants also voted Democratic due to political machines from years earlier, in which they were given help and relief and exchange for their votes. During the late 1920s the political realignment of blacks proliferated during this era. The racist policies of Republicans alienated blacks from them and as a result a very large majority of blacks started to vote Democrat and have not stopped. The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt also brought about some new voters for the Democratic party including small farmers, European immigrants, intellectuals, reformers, Catholics, and
Once in office, Roosevelt maintained his pace of reform with his New Deal program while congressional Democrats continued to create solutions to problems plaguing the country in order to keep the voters from returning to the opposing party. The collection of election and voting behavior data, and party registration and preference polls referenced by Sundquist indicates that the millions of voters who shifted partisan support, as well as newly mobilized voters, were concentrated in the industrial cities of the North, primarily from the working class – Republican and Democrat (215-217). It was nearly a one-way movement in the cities. Sundquist argues, “The key variable in the 1930s was not leadership but the overwhelming intrinsic power of the Great Depression as a realigning issue” (210). The Democratic strength had stabilized as the New Deal Democratic party became even more issue-oriented, liberal, working-class-based, and inclusive of new ethnic
“I raise up my voice- not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…,” once said Malala Yousafzai. Women’s rights in the 1930s were a serious issue. Women had just received the right to vote, yet there was still many discriminatory actions towards women. This dramatic period in time took place during the Great Depression, which caused women’s rights to be overlooked.
Progress Of Women In The 1920 's and 30 's Back in the 1920 's women started becoming extremely significant in the society. Before then, women rarely found jobs that accumulated a high enough income to raise a family. However this act of sexism changed in the early years of the 1920 's, women began to get involved in male dominated jobs. This time it worked, women were finally getting their say in political issues and they eventually got the chance to speak up. The government realized the types of distress and discomfort women went through to keep a healthy lifestyle for their young ones.
They were based on the 1930s American Politics and culture, though they did offer the same aid to all Americans; white men generally received more aid than women or African American men did. Roosevelt did do a lot to reshape the U.S during his presidency, the Democratic party won the election again in 1936, with Roosevelt being the potential candidate. He oversaw important and major changes in American Politics, that defined life in the U.S during the twentieth century. “Roosevelt permanently altered America’s role in the world” (Miller
Women’s Suffrage 1920’s Women were not born with the rights they have today, such as the right to vote, speak in public, access to equal education and so forth. However this did not prevent them from fighting for their rights. Women’s lives soon began to change as strong women leaders began to step up and make a move towards what they believed in. The 1920’s was a starting point for women to start living their lives differently than they had been doing before, due to gaining more freedom.
World War Two forced an entire gender to take part in society in a way unprecedented in the nation’s past. Men had left the United States by the millions, leaving behind a society devoid of its bread earners. In order to support the economy and the nation, women flooded into the workforce, earning money and a sense of freedom unlike the world had ever seen. Despite the fact that the war saw the death of an incomprehensible amount of people, for women, it was the birth of a way of life. A chance to go out, earn money and bond with other women turned World War Two into an opportunity to better the woman’s condition in the United States.
