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Women's Reforms During The Progressive Era

1378 Words6 Pages

Questions Notes What general problems did women address during the early stage of their reforms? How was the foundation for women reforms laid during the antebellum era? What factors contributed to the growing sense of urgency for reforms? How did different groups address their personal interests by forming their own organizations? What were the use of Settlement houses and how did they benefit the poor communities? How did the concept of Settlement houses appeal to women? What improvements were called by women in terms of factory working conditions? How did women reformers help improve lives of children? What tradition values of women’s role are being challenged? How is racism a limiting factor for …show more content…

-Women (both white and black) from the antebellum era worked on social and moral reforms for the welfare of the lower class. -Movements such as temperance and abolition were carried out by women before the Civil War. -Organizations such as Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) were formed by women during the Progressive Era in effort to ban alcohol and prostitution. -the influx of new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, and the increase in labor strife in the early 20th century contributed to the sense of urgency for reforms. -Clubs such as General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) were formed to address crises of the urbanizing society. -African American women formed National Association of Colored Women (NACW), which addressed poverty and racism among black families. -German-Jewish immigrants (women) formed the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) to aid newly arrived European Jewish communities. -The National Congress of Mothers (later the Parent Teacher Association) emerged in 1897 to address the needs of the American family and the mother’s crucial role in fulfilling those …show more content…

During the 20th century, both white and black women of the middle class pushed to better the society and improve lives of the working class and immigrants. Settlement houses were established across country, which are evidences of reaching beyond class division. Factory conditions were improved by limiting working hours and appointing investigators to enforce rules. The moral being of children were also taken into consideration. Women activists challenged the traditional role of women by advocating the pursuit of personal interests and free love. However, racial boundaries remained a limiting factor of these reforms. While organizations campaigned for white women suffrage, African American women were generally

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