01. 1865-1915 - Women and work

Question 1

Had women gained the vote by the First World War?

Answer 1

No

Question 2

Which women campaigned for the vote during this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 2

Middle class women (mostly)

Question 3

By 1907, how many states had abolished child labour, largely as a result of women’s campaigning?

Answer 3

30

Question 4

Who tended to work more during this period (1865-1914): married on unmarried women?

Answer 4

Unmarried women – women were generally expected to give up their work when they married, although working class women would often still seek work if the family was close to poverty

Question 5

What opportunity did the Homestead Act (1862) provide?

Answer 5

It encouraged Westward migration by offering 160 acres of land for free providing settlers remained there for 5 years. Unmarried women were eligible and about 100,000 took land.

Question 6

Why were some women angry at the Fifteenth Amendment?

Answer 6

It meant African Americans could (in theory) vote – but it made no mention of women

Question 7

During the late 19th c., why did working class women gain more job opportunities?

Answer 7

Due to the expansion of the manufacturing industry

Question 8

What % of unmarried working class women worked outside the home in 1870?

Answer 8

13%

Question 9

By 1900, what % of the work force did women workers comprise?

Answer 9

17%

Question 10

Between 1870 and 1900, what happened to the number of women working?

Answer 10

It tripled

Question 11

How did the invention of the typewriter change work in the 1890s?

Answer 11

It made office work (clerical work) more open to women

Question 12

How much could women earn in clerical roles in the 1890s?

Answer 12

$7 a week

Question 13

By 1900, how many women (in total) were working as teachers, secretaries, librarians and telephone operators?

Answer 13

949,000

Question 14

By 1920, how many women (in total) were working as teachers, secretaries, librarians and telephone operators?

Answer 14

3.4m

Question 15

What limits were placed on women’s career prospects in this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 15

Men remained the managers (and there remained an expectations women would stop working when they married)

Question 16

As white women left the factory floor in the late 19th c., who replaced them?

Answer 16

Immigrants women - and some African American women

Question 17

In 1900, how long did an immigrant worker have to work to earn $5?

Answer 17

70 hours

Question 18

Around 1900, did immigrant women only work in factories?

Answer 18

No – they also often worked in domestic service, laundries or bakeries

Question 19

Did immigrant women give up work when they married in this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 19

Generally not - they were forced y extreme poverty to carry on working

Question 20

Why did the number of women working in farming fall during this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 20

1. New technology was unsuitable for women to operate 2. New technology reduced overall numbers of agricultural workers (men and women)

Question 21

How did the agricultural labour force change during this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 21

It fell from about a half to about a third of the total working population.

Question 22

How well were women protected by the law during this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 22

Not at all – state and federal governments adopted a laissez-faire approach (i.e. leave businessmen to run their business how they see fit)

Question 23

Where did urban immigrant families tend to live during this period (1865-1914)?

Answer 23

In overcrowded, unhealthy and unsanitary ghettos in cities

Question 24

Where did male white collar workers increasingly live during this period (1865-1914) and how did this affect women?

Answer 24

They moved to the suburbs to houses with indoor plumbing, central heating etc. - and thus better off married women tended to have to endure less of a daily grind.

Question 25

During this period (1865-1914), how many children did immigrant/farming families tend to have?

Answer 25

06-Aug

Question 26

During this period (1865-1914), how many the birth rate among white Americans change?

Answer 26

It declined sharply, from 5.42 (1850) to 3.56 (1900)

Question 27

What impact did the decline in birth rate in the period 1865-1914 have for middle class mothers?

Answer 27

It meant they could invest more time/energy in their child’s education

Question 28

How many high school graduates were women by 1900?

Answer 28

Half

Question 29

Why did increased education by c. 1900 affect women?

Answer 29

Around half of women graduates looked to delay marriage and look for career opportunities. (Many, however, saw a good education as a necessary step on the road to marriage.)

Question 30

How did the divorce rate change at the end of the 19th century?

Answer 30

It increased from 1 in 20 in 1880 to 1 in 12 by 1900.