Middle-Class Women During The 1900's

How were Middle-Class women in the United States affected by the 1900’s? Women were greatly affected legally, socially, and mentally during the 1900’s when America was just essentially recovering from the Civil War. Not only had the Civil War just taken place, but now America was flourishing with factories, cities, and industries. With this new environment jobs were booming, and people were eager for new things. However, women really didn’t have the right to do anything. Women couldn't vote, jobs were limited, and it was socially expected that women would stay home and take care of the family,while the husband would go work and have educational opportunities. Throughout the 1900’s Middle-Class women had unfair advantages from men, and were

Black and white middle-class woman were inspired by the war to continue the reform efforts into the reconstruction era and to fulfill the promise of true “freedom”, begun by the abolition of slavery. The problem with women wanting more job options is that the majority of the United States has views that, “Men were thought to have natures suited to the public world, women to the private.” On occasion there would be some middle-class women employed. Although it was rare, some would have a job with a family business, which was frowned upon by the public. Some middle-class women had the opportunity of being educated however. For example, a lady named Jane Addams who was a middle-class woman. She had a college degree and was determined to engage in some sort of useful occupation. Addams went on and founded The Settlement House Movement, “which was a center dedicated to aiding urban immigrants, the poor, women and children, through providing health services, education and vocational training, child care, and a variety of legal, social and cultural services.” By Addams creating this movement it helped women in society gain attention from the government. Which helped centralized services and women’s political involvement at the local level. The affects that industries and businesses made on middle-class women are, it helped them

When society heard of all the things women were requesting of the law most thought it was absurd. In 1890, Charlotte Perkins Stetson talked about how allowing women to vote would help mother’s capabilities . Stetson wishing too change the laws of voting says , ‘A woman will no longer be attached solely to one little group, but will be also a member of the community. She will not neglect her own on that account, but will be better to them and of more worth as a mother.” The President of the United States, Grover Cleveland even had something to say pertaining to women voting, “sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.” It wasn’t until 12 years after President Grover Cleveland died that something was done about this problem. On August 26th, 1920 the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, granting all women the right to vote. The government eventually agreed with the women of America for the right to vote, even though it took quite some