final Flashcards
what was new about the late 19th century new woman?
definately their education level
in 1862, the marrill land grant act was passed, which increased the amount of state colleges, thus allowing more women in.
originally, only 8 schools allowed in women: Mount Holyoke and the 7 sister schools
the schools pushed women to take certain career paths, like teaching or home ec.
kept women and men as segregated as they could.
women in college education worried many people, however.
Dr. edward clarke worte “sex in education” where he studied 7 women from Vassar College, and dertermined education took too much of their energy and fertility, which led to mental collapse.
led to a healthy way of education, including removing grades, creating physical education, and all-female dorms.
women began working more, in roles that applied more to them over men, such as teachers, nurses, librarians, and social workers.
still met the four pilars, viewed as home-llike jobs, it was other women and children who needed help, not men, and if men and women had the same job, men got paid more.
most working women were single, and this time period had the lowest marriage rate
boston marriages- women lived together and took care of the house and expenses
in 1897, Havelock Ellis wrote “Sexual Inversions” which described normal and abnormal relationships.
Gibson girls became the new style for women: bigger busses, up-dos, more clevage, more flirty, and more outgoing, but still wanted romance and love was still a major factor in marriage.
college allowed women to be educated in childcare
women wanted less children in marriage, but couldnt access birth control or easily say no to their husbands.
the comstock law (1873) made it illegal to sell obsece, lewd, or sexual content.
women had more education and job oppertunities.
what was the primary result of the late 19th and early 20th century woman’s clubs?
native-born, middle-class white women believed they were the superior sex compared to men.
clubs allowed women to share values and work toward the same goal.
local clubs- dedicated to self culture, helped the community by creating libraries and soup kitchens
national clubs- focused on helping the community made up of tight knit groups, and created scholarships for women going to college.
reform organizations- made up of middle-class married women, and had less to do than other women.
the general federation of women’s clubs united over 1 million women in 1890.
black women’s clubs were created because they werent allowed in with white women.
middle class women joined clubs to bass time and escape boredoms of the house.
the women’s christian temperance union founded in the 1870s, led a national crusaid against alcohol and drunkeness.
led by francis willard, who fully blamed men and tried to end the production of alcohol by calling out corrupt politics.
women began to realize the right to vote would be helpful.
college educated women helped fix society by helping the stuggling communities, like immigrants and poor poeple.
the hull house was created in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Star, which provided services, classes, althletic programs, etc for people who needed it
served over 1000 people/week
allowed women to use their education
women began to look into the incomes and race of working class families
florence kelley was the first female lobbyist who convinced the chicago government to fix poor working conditions.
Illinois hired her to keep statisitcs and do factory inspections.
left to lead the national consumers’ league, where she created a white label to show consumers that a factory was safe, clean, and healthy.
all these things increased social consiousness, but coultn’t do enough without voting.
why did american women gain the right to vote
because of the people and causes they supported.
in 1890, a popular vote was held, and women did not even get the potential right to vote. however, some reforms were created to allow women to own and control property, keep earnings, etc, and some places got low level sufferage.
Wyoming gave women the right to vote in 1859, and Utah allowed it in 1870.
the national american women’s sufferage association, ran by kelley and addams, reunited the movement and reached almost 75,000 people by 1910.
new leaders were college educated with new skills and ideas
Carrie Chapmann Catt, a new leader, was moral, religous, and concerned and belived women needed to be in the government.
this was more appealing to people becuase it still kept men and women seperated.
anti sufferage groups were often led by women.
they belived sexes had different functions and controlled different spheres, that sufferage would harm women, and that women’s moral superiority would be ruined.
the pro-sufferage campaign believed voting would save the house and society, and would not ruin women’s health, and why giving women the right to vote would allow them to outvote ingorant immigrants and black men.
roosevelt was elected in 1910 and promised sufferage for women.
several states began to gain sufferage.
in 1915, under wilson, women hoped they’d get the right to vote.
Alice Paul, who worked with the radical sufferagettes in england, broke the NAWSA group apart, and created the national womens party.
NAWSA was upset and supported the war, not sufferage.
this worked in their favor, becuase 14 months after WWI ended, women reviced the right to vote.
were women in the 1920s radically different from women in the late 19th century?
yes, they definately were.
their form changed to flappers, which had boyish figures with more leg, short hair, took pride in worldlines,not innocence, but also still wanted to settle down, marry, and have children.
women began getting high educations. more attended college and co-ed ones at that. colleges offered both vocational and educational classses.
flappers picked up smoking and drinking to show liberation. when dating, they had no chaperons. they went out 4-7 times a week with different people. 92% of women did this to try to remove the double standard between men and women.
sororities were created becuase there were not enough dorms, so they bought and built houses. the limited membership caused competition, but the sisters were very close.
young, educated, unmarried womeb worked pink color jobs, which included no sweating, little training, no advancements or promotions, and were overall ideal places for women, like offices and department stores.
in the household, marriages focused on companionship and splitting chores. however, wives had to stay beautiful and interesting so their husbands wouldn’t leave, which led to the rise in beauty standards.
sexual intercouse was supposed to be enjoyed by both persons, and female orgasms and pleasure were acknowledge. birth control also became more easily available, which took away women’s power to say no, as well as made lesbian relationships more contriversial.
did feminism die in the 1920s
yes, because it was seen as too radical.
women had originally united to get the right to vote, but fell apart shortly after because they wanted different things.
congress passed the sheppard-towner in 1921, which allowed women prenatal care. however, women were hired to help the pregnant women and newborns, which upset many and led to criticism, so in the the late 1920s, congress repealed the act.
women were the only ones who got minimum wage since they had to be protected from harm.
the women’s movement began to disband and lose funding and volunteers. there was a rise in pink collar jobs and a distast for young flappers to want to be like their mothers. feminism was viewed as aggressive and basically giving up on a husband and family.
NAWSA became the league of women voters, and educated women about voting and fought for protective laws for women and children.
the national womens party was led by alice paul. they supported women candidates, called out sexist laws, and wanted to be treated equally.
the equal rights amendment was creaed in 1923 wihch would allow men and women to be treated equally throughout the US. this meant either everybody would be protected or nobody would be protected.
the NWP claimed the ERA would discriminate and harm women. belived women needed protection because they bore children.
margret sanger was a nurse who wanted to help women access birth contol in the 1910s. she attempted to educate women through the “Women Rebel” but ended up leaving America to go to Holland. She worked at a birth control clinic where diaphragms (caps) were placed on the cervix to stop sperm from reaching the uterus. she went back to new york and opened a clinic, but got arrested in 10 days. she took her case to the NY supreme court, which declared doctors could prescribe brith control to married women.
what challenges did women face during the Great Depression?
a multitude.
the stock market crashed on october 29th, 1929, unemployment reached 25%, and incomes fell 50%. the dust bowl hit as well, and the nation fell into emergency.
families only had about 2 children, because they didnt have the funds, had access to birth control, and often self aborted. nearly 8,000-10,000 women died per year.
relationships fell apart. men and women both blamed men, and women only had sex when the man provided, and often made the man help with household chores. all combine, an increase in male suicide, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, and abandonment occured.
women made up 25% of the workforce. however, they made lower wages and couldn’t make ends meet.
people didnt think women should work, because it was up to men to provide. they also believed women belonged in the house to care for the children.
in stride, 77% of school districts stopped hiring married women, and only one member of a household was allowed a job. surprisingly, black women worked more than both white women and black men.
women were harrassed for trying to get services, which led to about 75,000 women lving in train and subway stations. they became sisters of the road and went from town to town together looking for work. many were less than 18 and turned to prostitution for food and shelter.
why was the new deal a mixed legacy for American women
FDR was elected in 1932, and he created the New Deal to help those in need
FDR hired many women to his staff, including Nelly Ross, director of US Mint, Ruth Owen, the first female ambassador, Florence Allen, a federal judge, and Molly Dewson, head of the Women’s Committee. he also hired many more as social workers
Eleanor Roosevelt was wife of FDR. she was part of teh democratic national committee and FDR’s radical spokesperson.
FDR cheated on ER with Lucy Mercer, her assistant, and he later caught Polio in 1921 and ER helped him greatly.
Frances Perkins was the first woman elected to the Cabinet. she had a lot of experience in social work and settlement houses, and attened college. she was treated differently than her male collegues. she created the social security act, which provided retirement funds and aided those who couldnt work, as well as fair labor standards act, which pushed minimum wage, age laws, etc.
Mary McLaud Bethune was a black advocate and head of the office of Minority affairs.
in 1936, less women were in the government, because Nazis and facism had come to power in Europe, and people felt more comfortable with men in power.
single women with children got aid from the social security act, which was shameful, becasue social workers had to visit.
the ERA worked toward diminishing sexism, which both democrats and republicans supported.
women were finally in the government and passing laws but they didnt have the skill or ability to stay. women were more elected more often in economic crises.
was ww2 liberating for women?
for the time and to an extent, yes.
the war began for america in December 1941. it brought America out of the depression and gave women new roles to fulfill.
since men were drafted, women took up their jobs; propaganda made women feel patriotic and needed, especially since the jobs were only temporary.
6 million women joined the work force, including married women and older women. they did work in male dominated industries, like welding, riveting, creating aircrafts, etc. these girls were known as Rosies and enjoyed their jobs.
women had a lot on their plate, and stuggled to raise children and work full time jobs. to help, some factories created nurseries for young children, and the government began to fund daycare. Others had to rely on family and friends, and those without left their children in the cars or dropped them off at movie theaters for the day.
women took over clergical positions in the army so more men could fight at the front. new groups were created for women, like the Women’s auxillary army coorps, WAVES, and WASPS. FDR had to force them to recruit black women.
Oveta Hobby tried to explain the women’s role in the war to people back home. She noted that the recruited women couldnt leave base, dance together, or act masculine.
house wives also faced problems. rationing was a big one. if a household item broke, she had to fix it or make due since nothing was being produced during the war. they also made all finiacial and household decisions.
some wives felt anxious and alone without their husbands, so they followed them from base to base. still, about 1/3 of men and 1/6 of women cheated.
women challenged sex-seperated jobs, and at the time this was liberating. women realized they weren’t incapable.
in what ways did the embrace of domesticity in the 1950s affect women’s lives?
women were forced back into their own sphere when men returned home. they were forced into more traditional roles, and the only women to work were mostly young and single.
domesticity was revived in the 1950s. “the lost sex” argued that feminism was an illness from women responding poorly to male dominance. symptoms included hating one’s father, rejection of motherhood and wanting to work.
Life Magazine pushed for domesticity by making the woman of the year a housewife in 1956. belived being domestic was completely fufilling. women began to get married around age 20; 60% of women dropped out of college to get married. women had 3-4 children.
families moved out to the suburbs. for the first time the middle class outnumbered the working class. women were pushed to be homemakers, and constantly viewed as beautiful and well-kept, with hour glass figures.
motherhood was viewed as the best for women. mothers had to ensure their child didnt feel rejected, but also not be too overbearing.
people began dating around 13 years old. they would go steady with one another, meaning the guy gave the girl an important article, like a class ring or letterman jacket, to show security and popularity. this was viewed as rebellious by adults, who feared it would lead to pre marital sex.
sexual experimentation often occured in people going steady. however, intercourse was purchased with marriage. however, if a young, unmarried girl became pregnant, she had one of three options. she could marry the baby’s father, disapear and adopt out the baby, or have an illegal abortion. illegal abortions killed 5-10k women/year.
being a domestic housewife was forced onto women. they were supposed to raise children but were also criticised harshly for it.
what developments led to the rebirth of the feminine movement in the 1960s
domesticity was full of contradictions and made women feel unfulfilled.
women felt trapped and cut off in the suburbs. new technology helped with their labor, which led to housewives working less and feeling bored and guilty.
married women with children began working more than ever before. they had to help stay middle class and pay for new appliances. plus, most jobs were part time or just for a short time.
betty friedan survived women she went to college with: most were married with children but unsatisfied.
the “Feminine Mystique” explained how women were feeling. blamed society and pop culture. she claimed suburbs were comfortable concentration camps. this led to some outrate, but other women were relieved. a personal issue was created into a social problem.
as the sexual revolution began, the age of marriage went up, as did divorce rates. premarital sex was becoming less taboo, as long as people were safe and happy. unmarried women were able to get birth control. “Human Sexual Response” was created in 1966 and claimed women were as sexually responsive as men and it was acceptable. this however led to women being viewed as objects and even harder to say no.
the civil rights movement began in 1955 when rosa parks refused to give up her seat and boycotts began in Montgumery. women gained personal identity, leadership skills, etc. but were often sexually exploited. SNCC posted a paper claiming women were treated the same way black people were treated in the south.
the new left began in 1962. focused on civil rights, poverty, vietnam war, etc. had no leadership roles for women. new left opposed the draft and war. women’s roles diminished further, and they were catcalled and interupted when they tried to speak.
feminism restarted with other social movements, and needed the movements to continue.
who was more important to the women’s liberation movement, liberals or radicals?
the women’s movement had the longest lasting effects. feminism was believed to be women being treated equally to men and having no limitations just because of her gender.
feminists wanted to be treated equally, paid the same, etc. JFK created a group of women led by Eleanor Roosevelt to document the ways women were discriminated against. the equal pay act was passed in 1963, and the civil rights act was passed in 1964 (ended sex and racial segregation). Howard smith tried to stop the CRA by adding sex to the law, but Johnson pushed it and it was passed in 1964. the equal emplyment oppertunity commission allowed people to come forward about workplace discrimination, but they focused more on african americans than women.
the national organization of women (1966) believed both men and women were discriminated against, and needed to find a balance. Gloria Stienem created Ms. Magazine, and reported feminist stories and other, similar types. she was critized for this by lesbians and woc.
some people believed men and women needed different rights. Valorie Solanas created SCUM (society of cutting men up), which was a very pro-woman movement. it promoted consious-raising (small groups of women who shared sexist experiences) and sisterhood.
women began to participate in guerrilla theater. they raided the 1968 Miss America conest and demonstrated how inappropirate and harmful it was. in 1973, a tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs occured, but King easily beat him and proved women were just as good.
in 1972, the era was passed, which made laws equal between men and women. it also included title 7, which stopped institutional discrimination. Shirley Chisham was the first black women in politics and also ran for presidency.
the supreme court made it illegal for men to execute a woman’s will, illegalized military death payments because women’s family got paid less, and advertisements could no longer ask for a specific gender. Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973 which legalized abortion for any woman.
Nixon denied daycares because they were too expensive.
liberal feminists were most popular, because radical feminists hurt more than helped.
why was there a backlash against feminism in the 1980s?
it was led by a new generation of conservatives.
in 1973, Phyllis Schlafly established STOP ERA (stop taking our privileges). focused on family units, traditional families, and women being forced to work. by 1974, 17 states stopped the ratification of the ERA and in the end it was 3 states short.
people supported the nuclear family, which was a heterosexual couple with children. 1977 was the international womans year, and during their meeting, conservatives held a rally at the same time to discuss sex ed, premartial sex, banned books, etx.
the right to life movement began in the 1970s. the protestors bombed 77 clinics, burned 177, and vandalized many more. Sandra Day O’connor was the first female supreme court justice and removed the trimester system. she limited contraceptives as well.
less women were running and being elected in Washington dc, because they were being sexually discriminated against, like Jeane Kilpatrick. many blamed feminism from the 70s.
hollywood depicted that all women needed was love. tv shows focused on women who felt unfulfilled and wanted to have children, but some also showed married women working jobs and doing it well.
women against violence and porn in media was founded in 1979, and was led by Cathrine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin. they claimed porn harmed women and those who watched it. others believed it could enhance and desexualize women.
the aids epidemic began in 1981, which was caused by the HIV virus and spread through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, etc, but it was gay men who were blamed. gays and lesbians formed together to create ACT UP (aids coalition to unleash power). this helped diminish the lies surroinding AIDS, and it was the first time gays and lesbians allied together.
date rapes on college campuses began to increase, so people began to teach and explain what rape really was. take back the night marches began, and call boxes and street lamps were installed. this led to even forced sex between married couples be considered as rape.
women were turned off by radical feminism, because many feared and felt threatened by change. plus, some women were happy as mothers.
what major issues helped define 3rd wave feminism?
women could do almost anything men could do; they enjoyed their new earnings, but helped woc.
all groups of women were working. Zoe Biard had been appointed to cabinet under Clinton, but got denied for sending her child to daycare. conservatives belived taxes should help needy mothers so they didnt have to work and could focus on raising their children. the childcare act was passed in 1997.
when women got pregnant, they didn’t get fired, but got no pto and often got demoted on arrival. California tried to give women 2-3 months unpaided, but feminists stated that was too long. so, clinton passed to family and medical leave act, in 1993, which offered unpaid time off for men or women who needed it.
Cathrine MacKinnon brought sexual harrassment cases to the federal court with the help of EEOC. created a three part test to determine if an act was sexual harassment: quid pro quo (ill do this if you do that); inappropriate actions that interferred with work; behavior that created a hostile work environment. only about 3% of women came forward.
Anita Hill came foward about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sexually harrassed her. most people sided with thomas since hill took so long to come forward. others questioned why Hill had been tried by an all white, all male committee.
women in politics werent elected because people worried theyd be too invested in family life and too hormonal. women who werent married were believed to be lesbians. this obviously led to less women getting elected and a lot of criticism to occur.
the year of the woman, 1992 occured after the cold war ended. more women got elected into office, and there were 4 female senators. emily’s list was a group of women who endorsed other women. the violence against women act (1994) helped with stalking and domestic violence, as well as provide for doemstic abuse shelters, funded trainings, and provided rape kits.
riot grrrl was a female punkrock band/movement that responded to sexism head on and centered around self sufficency. they created zines (self produced magazines), and pushed women to dress and act how they wanted. with this movement, gender and sexuality expanded. women were promoted to be themselves, especially in Wurtzul’s “Bitch.”
women in politics was a big gamechanger because it put a core group to help change things. new laws provided for and protected women.
has the situation for women gotten better or worse?
Feminism reshaped expectations and created new opportunities, but class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality still divide many.
immigration and nationality act, 1965 removed quotas for Europeans and increases quotas for others, which increased in ethnicity in the US.
in the 1980s, political turmoil began in Latin America, which led to undocumented immigrants (about 11%) in the US.
the immigration reform and control act, 1986 provided a legal path to citizenship for immigrants who arrived before 1986.
congress attempted to pass the dream act, which would have helped underage immigrants, but it didnt pass due to tension.
in 2012, Obama passed DACA which provided underange immigrants work oppertunities and an SSN.
women got married older (25) and had about 2 children. more were having children out of wedlock, divorce rates were high, and teens got pregnant. a lot of women seemed to prefer to stay single.
temperary assistance for needy families was passed in 1996. it helped single people with income, as long as they could prove they worked 30 hours/week or were enrolled in an education program. could only get it for five years max.
the defense of marriage act was passed in 1996, which claimed marriage could only be between one man and one woman. a homosexual sued, and the massachusets supreme court agreed with them and legalized gay marriage. southern and midwestern states did the opposite.
in 2015, Obergefell vs Hodgies was brought to the supreme court by a gay couple. the court declared same sex marriage legal in all states.
title 9 decreased institutional and sexual harrassement. in 1999, Davis vs. Monroe count boe was brought forth. a fifth grader had come forward about being harrassed by classmates, and the court decided schools were responsible for peer-on-peer harassment.
a crisis for young boys began; they tested worse because girls were getting more attention than them.
by 2000, both spouses were working. this led to wage gaps, for many reasons: men worked more hours, women wanted more flexible hours, and women tended to chose female dominated jobs, which had always paid less.
Lily Ledbetter took her case against Goodyear Tire to the supreme court in 2007. she had been the only female lead, and it wasnt until after she retired she realized the men had been paid more. the court looked at the difference in pay, unequal pay, and she didnt file the complaint within 180 days of the discrimination occuring. the court sided with goodyear. congress passed the Lily Ledbetter Fair pay act in 2008.
even now, women still struggle and have limitiations. still viewed with sexism. men began to complain the second it got better for women.
