Bloemhof 1 The social life of women in the United States took a progressive leap in the 1920s. The 1920s was a time of economic growth, lifted spirits and new outlooks on life. The 1920s commonly known as the Roaring Twenties brought many useful advancements and cultural changes to American life. Women were especially affected by the change in American society. Many aspects of women’s everyday lives were changed dramatically which helped women’s society in a positive way. The ‘New Woman’ was established in the beginning of the new decade as women were now allowed to vote because of the 19th Amendment, go to college and get a degree, and could now learn to drive, especially with the more mass production of cars and more were getting jobs. Women …show more content…
New labor saving devices were also made that helped make everyday life in the home easier for the housewife. All these changes helped lead to an increase in women’s self-esteem and equality between men and women, and an easier life for women at home and in the lines of fashion. The National American Women Suffrage Association was formed in 1890 and pushed and fought for enfranchisement, which is the right to vote. Women argued that since they are citizens that they should be allowed to vote as well, as men can. Soon after in 1920 the 19th Amendment was passed and women now had the right to vote. With this new life changing right women “gained a mechanism to empower themselves, their Bloemhof 2 families, and their communities” says Heidi Williamson, an expert on women’s rights.1 The 19th Amendment was passed so that female voters could help improve our country’s society, stop all discrimination, and help politics clean up.2 The 19th Amendment gave women more equality among men in politics and had positive effects on other issues of everyday life like self-identity. Women’s rights could no longer be looked over, as …show more content…
After World War I, women’s fashion took a turn and prospered into an exciting and new vibrant style. Society previously held tight boundaries on how women should dress. There was no law to the way they could dress, but simply that their morals were tighter and they had an unspoken, common knowledge before the 1920s of how women should dress appropriately. In the 1920s, society’s morals loosened and consequently so did the average women’s dress code. People became free-spirited and celebratory and so fashion started to evolve into a less formal wear. Style changed to a new look centered around a 5“Women in the Labor Force,” infoplease.com, October 1, 2015. Accessed February 18, 2016, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0105673.html. 6“The Roaring Twenties.” history.com, 2010. Accessed February 18, 2016, http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties. 7F. Scott Fitztgerald, The Great Gatsby (New York: Scribner, 2013), 47. Bloemhof 5 boyish figure and Art Deco designs. Women were free to show self-expression and dress the way they wanted. They discarded restricting corsets and were even allowed to wear trousers. Women’s style changed tremendously as they began wearing short skirts,