Women Flashcards
What were the positives and negatives of the New Deal?
- Eleanor Roosevelt pushed for women in office
- Women represented in organizations eg Frances Perkins as secretary for Labor
- Ran by men
- Legislation discriminated against mothers
- AAs faced discrimination for social security in the South
- No attempt to secure equal pay
What were the positives of WWII?
- Women’s advisory committee and more women in office
- Women in work more and better paying
- More AA activism eg Rosa Parks in 1955 Montgomery
What were the limitations of progress created by WWII?
- Exempt from decision making in New Deal or War
- ‘Dual responsibility’ not supplemented with free childcare
- Unequal pay
- Discrimination of Japanese and AA women
- Divisions on women’s role after war
- Cold-war conservatism and prosperity limits progress eg 1942 sees 2 million women loose jobs
- Still focuses on social work
What was the ERA? What contributed to it nearly being ratified?
1) NOW makes ERA its goal in 1967
2) 1970 picketing Congress and 1972 march for equality
3) Supported by Martha Griffiths and Betty Friedan
4) Protest climate of Vietnam war
1972 congress passes act and 30 states accept it. Reagan prevents it being ratified in 1980.
Which two factors held back to ERA?
- People had opposed it being proposed in 1950s as it exempted women from draft etc
- 1961 Roosevelt recommends Equal Pay Act which makes ERA seem obsolete
What opposition was there to the ERA?
- Phyllis Schlafy and Daughters of American Revolutions see it as threat to tradition
- Others worry women will face conscription
What was radical feminism? How did they hope to achieve their aims?
- 2nd wave feminism involved with AA and Vietnam campaigning.
- Unstructured and centered on raising awareness
- Books such as Kate Millet’s 1970 ‘Sexual Politics’ and rise in women’s discussion groups
- 80000 women in these groups often focusing of divorce, abortion and age (unlike normal campaigning)
How successful was radical feminism?
- 1973 pay 57% of mans and lack of daycare and tax relief until 1977.
By 1992:
- 1/2 degrees going to women (still ‘female subjects’)
- Few women in decision making positions
- Pay 32% less than men
- 1984 first female Vice President
What was the focus for women in the 1960s?
- Abortion and reproduction eg NOW conference 1967
- Women’s equality league breaks away and doesn’t support abortion
- Paid maternity leave and education equality
What were some of the success for feminism in the 1960s?
- 1963 Equal Pay Act
- 1964 Civil Rights Act
- NOW 1966 bringing cases to court
- Feminine Mystique 1963 and ‘Report on American Women’
- 1960s New Frontier and later ‘Great Society’
What challenges did feminism face in the 1960s?
- Not clear aims
- Conservative opposition
- No support from political parties
- Radicalism causing divide
How did the Civil war help improve women’s rights?
- More economic responsibility
- More women working in low payed domestic roles
How was women’s rights linked with the abolition of slavery?
- Women wanted to vote in order to abolish slavery eg Female Anti-slavery convention 1948
- AA progress inspired women but male abolitionist didn’t want the causes linked and separates after the war
- Harriet Tubman rescued slaves
What was the suffrage movement? When did women get the vote?
- National Women’s Association 1869
- Figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton focusing on political voice and divorce laws
- Mostly white, middle class women
How was moral reform and religion linked with women’s rights?
New tech and literacy- women wanted to share ‘moral values’
War = more charity and fundrasing
Church societies eg Sunday schools
What was the rural movement pre-WWI?
- 1870s pressure on farmers meant growing support for populist party sees women getting involved in protests to protect farmer’s rights
- Elizabeth Lease their orator
What was the Charity Organisation Society?
- Influenced local govt eg assistance for women who can’t work and pension legislation in 1900s
What was the settlement house movement in the late 1800s?
Female grads established 400 settlement houses in cities.
Provided education for poor people but sometimes became political eg rooms for TUs.
How did abolition affect women’s rights pre-WWI?
- 1866 the American Equal Rights Association works to remove racial and gender equality.
- 14th and 15th amendments mark break with abolitionism and women excluded and AAs focus on own rights.
What was the NWSA? Who was its rival organization?
- Founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1869 and membership restricted to women. Works for national change.
- AWSA focused on gaining vote in individual states.
- They merge in 1890 but initial divide means many women chose to focus on ‘social issues’
What success was there pre-WWI in trying to get the vote?
- 1871 Anthony is arrested for trying to vote
- 1875 SC rules women have no rights to vote in national elections
- 1880s and 1900s sees 20 states permit women to vote
- Focus switched to practicality of women voting for prohibition rather than their ‘rights’
- National Association Opposed to Women’s suffrage in 1911
How was women’s rights pre WWI linked with prohibition?
- WCTU, 1874 focuses of protecting the family
- 1880s sees 168, 000 members
- They are able to use lobbying to achieve 18th amendment in 1920
What was WONPR?
- Group against prohibition lead by Pauline Sabin and had wealthy supporters
- Successful in 1933 with 21st amendment
How did the reconstruction period improve women’s economic position?
- 15% of women working by 1870 but 24% in 1924 (still mostly domestic and AA women in factories)
- TU action growing but women only 2% of TUs in 1914
How did the reconstruction period improve women’s social position?
- More prosperity and less children per family
- More women’s clubs and women in HE doubled
- Excluded from decision making
How did WWI affect women socially?
- Rise in flappers
- Only possible for rich, white women and still had to be housewives once married
- Held back by Comstock Laws eg I million illegal a year and failure of Margaret Danger’s 1971 clinic
How did WWI affect women economically?
- 3 million more female workers but mostly unmarried
- Focus on ‘female jobs’
- Division among women over what their role is
- Rise in farmerettes and working for army
- AA women face Great Migration
- Limited by returning servicemen and lack of childcare provisions
How did the depression and New Deal affect women’s rights?
- Women exploited as payed less. Portrays them as stealing men’s jobs
- Wage decreases hit AA women the worst
- Some stated ban married women working and TUs remain male dominated
How did WWII affect women’s economic position?
- More men away this time and greater expansion
- Working for army and propaganda eg Rosie the Riveter
- 6 million women enter workforce
- Expected to give up jobs and still payed half of man’s wage
How did WWII affect women’s social position?
New jobs and responsibility spurred on resistance to conservatism after the war.
But conservatism persisted and focus was on AA civil rights.
When and what was Roe vs Wade?
- 1970 ruling that under 9th amendment the state couldn’t interfere with abortions for the 1st 3 months. Prioritized the life of the mother.
- Leads to large pro-life backlash movement eg Right to Life Committee and SC appeals the decision
What affect did New Feminism have on women’s rights?
Focus on violence, education and funding.
More contraception, less illegal abortions and 1/2 grads are women by 1986.
By 1990 only 2 women senators and split over 2nd wave feminism.
What were the Comstock Laws?
- 1873 prevents sale and distribution of contraception
- Results in illegal abortions and 3, 600 prosecutions
- Lifted in 1938 but many state legislators enforced own laws
Who was Margaret Sanger?
- Establish American Birth Control League and established clinic in 1923
- Large membership and success in removing laws
What backlash did women face after WWII?
- Blamed for increasing dovorce rate and break down of ‘family values’
- Federal bills encourage servicemen to enter HE
- 1946 ‘Common Sense book of Baby and Childcare’ and other propoganda
- 75% want to remain in employment
What was NARAC?
1969 anti-feminist group
What was the National Abortion Rights Action League?
Worked to enforce birth control issues
When were women given full birth control rights?
- Griswold vs Conneticut 1965
- In 1972 this is extended to unmarried couples
