Changing position of women 1917-1939 Flashcards
social barriers for women in 1917
expected to be housewives
single mothers and divorce stigmatized
political barriers for women in 1917
unable to vote in presidential elections(but could vote in some state elections)
economic barriers for women in 1917
women were overlooked for promotions and hiring
lower wages compared to men for doing the same work
“last hired, first fired” ideology
key individuals in 1917
Jenette Ranken: first woman elected to congress (1917)
Cary Chapman Cat: president of the national American suffragettes movement
what were the key events in changing the position of women (1917-39)
WW1, the roaring twenties, the great depression, the new deal
what was the impact of WW1?
19th amendment (because of women’s efforts in the war)
what was the 19th amendment? how much did it help?
it gave women over 21 the right to vote in federal elections
not very: only around 25% of eligible women voted in the 1920s
which law was likely a result of the 19th amendment?
the Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act(1921): provided state funds to educate people about prenatal health and infant welfare
led to an 11% drop in infant mortality
in 1928, women made up….. of the US population
BUT only…. sat in legislatures and only…… were women
1) over half
2) 145
3) 2/435 members of the house of representatives
The roaring 20s led to…
greater social freedoms for some women
In the roaring 20s, the number of women in paid employment rose from ___ to ___, BUT…
8 million to 11 million
…there was a lack of equal opportunities, being paid less or being refused jobs
In 1930, most schools…
refused to hire married women, 24 states had laws banning their employment
The work of Margaret Sanger meant that…
women had greater access to birth control
examples of improved social positions
women began to go on dates unchaperoned/were allowed to leave the house alone
divorce became more acceptable
women had more bodily autonomy(appearance and reproductive)
emergence of flappers
define flappers (and give one criticism)
a lifestyle which emerged during the roaring 20s, which emphasised female autonomy. Women often wore “short” skirts, bobbed their hair, and danced to jazz music, while disregarding traditional societal norms at the time
only a small minority of middle class, urban white women were flappers
what impact did the great depression have?
more specifically…
many women lost their jobs
black women were often employed as civil servants, and lost their jobs when people could no longer afford them
unskilled female workers were usually fired first to make room for more men to be employed
what impact did the new deal have?
it was unhelpful for women
what was the 1933 economy act?
it forbade members from the same family from working for the federal goverment
why was the NRA and the CCC unhelpful?
1) NRA allowed for unequal wages for women
2) CCC did not employ women
