Women
Essential Question
o How does the Flapper represent the "new woman"?
o Were the 1920's successful for the women's movement? |
Key Points
o The Flappers change the view of women in the 1920's.
o The Women's Movement made gains during the 1920's for women's rights. o Life for women in the 1920's was different compared to the Progressive era. |
Women in the Victorian Era
The Victorian Era, 1837 - 1901, was the period of time during Queen Victoria of Britain's reign. This era, coinciding with the Gilded Age of the United States, promoted romanticism and mysticism towards religion, social values, and the arts. The Victorian Era is known as an era of restraint in social and sexual activities, promoting the sanctity of one's body and personal being. During this Victorian Era, crude birth rates declined throughout the country, for women were more aware of their rights as women due to the increase of environmental and health standards for women. With the crude birth rate declining, the population also began to even out throughout the country. This, coupled with the decrease in the mortality rate throughout America, made it so there was an equal amount of people being born into the world compared to people dying. Also, during the Victorian Era, women began to push more for their rights as women. Women's suffrage began to become a common issue of interest throughout the country, along with civil rights and tariff and monetary reform. Upset with the fact that the 15th Amendment was not extended to women, an attempt to revive temperance also became an issue of interest for women reformers. Their intent was to bring morality back into a corrupt America. Leaders like Susan B. Anthony formed orders, such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association, to secure voting rights for all women of America.
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Women in the Progressive Era
The Progressive Era, 1890 - 1920, was a period of social activism and political reform in the United States. One main movement in the Progressive Era was to purify the previously corrupt government through exposing and undercutting political machines. The women of this time began to promote women's suffrage even more, along with prohibition, in an attempt to further their purity as a gender. In their push for purity, the formation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union had caused an increased interest in the passing of prohibition. With the help of the Anti-Saloon League, their dream of a purer America became a reality, for in 1919, prohibition, also known as the 18th Amendment, was passed and America became "dry". Also, around this time, Susan B. Anthony had also finished drafting the federal woman's suffrage amendment and is presented to Congress to determine what would happen next. One year later, in 1920, the 19th Amendment would be passed, giving women the right to vote. This right, which was fought for for over 75 years, had finally be granted to the hardworking women of America.
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Women's Movement
The Women's Rights Movement had originated in Europe during the late 19th century and carried into the early 20th. During this time, organizations like the National American Woman Suffrage Association held conferences and campaigns in an attempt to attract the attention of the federal officials and prove that what America needed was the morality of women to guide America. Women's suffrage began to spread all throughout the world during this time period, pressuring governments into giving women the rights they want. However, it wasn't later in World War I that countries began to give women the rights they deserved, starting with the Netherlands in 1917.
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Flappers
Flappers, often referred to as the "new breed of women", are Western women who had grown away from traditional Victorian standards. They wore short skirts, had bobbed haircuts, listened to jazz, and cared little for what was considered to be social norm. Most of these women were seen as being brash for wearing excessive amounts of makeup, drinking, participating in casual sex, smoking, driving automobiles, and breaking other social norms and taboos. The rise of the flapper originated during the Roaring 20's of America, eventually spreading to Europe along with the spread of jazz through the increased social, political turbulence that followed World War I.
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Thinking Like A Historian
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In 1920, women's rights changed forever in America when they were granted suffrage through the 19th Amendment. All women in America benefited from this momentous change. Something that once seemed taboo to all Americans had become a reality, giving women a chance to prove that their "superior morality" could clean up a previously corrupt America. Some may argue, whether jokingly or in all seriousness, that men have suffered ever since the passing of the amendment. As to whether or not they actually have doesn't matter. Throughout history, since the passing of women's suffrage, women have proven time and time again to be just as, if not more, intelligent as man. Although both sides have the exception to the previous statement, women like Margaret Sanger, Helen Keller, and Dorothy Day have all proven that the 19th Amendment was not wasted.
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For women of America during the Roaring 20's, two significant turning points in history were change from Victorian women into Progressive women and the passing of the 19th Amendment, women's voting rights. The shift from self-composed Victorian women to the taboo 20's flapper occurred somewhere during the first decade of the 1900's, primarily during World War I. During this time, women were given the opportunity to help out more around home while the men went off to fight. During this time, women worked factory jobs with men, all while raking care of a family. At this point in time, women learned that their dependence on men was not necessarily needed and that they could do without their "bread winning". As for the passing of the 19th Amendment, this changing point really came from constant push from women throughout the nation to give them that right. Conventions and peaceful demonstrations had given leading officials of America the proof they needed to make this decision, along with the following in the footsteps of other nations throughout the world.
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APPParts: Analyzing the 19th Amendment
Author
The original author of the bill was Susan B. Anthony. After writing it, she had it passed on to Congress for further decision as to whether or not it could be supported as an amendment to the Constitution.
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Place and Time
The bill was written in 1919, during World War I. During this time, women worked hard to fulfill the missing men that were away fighting the war. Later, in 1920, Congress agreed that women were more than capable of handling the power of the vote, giving them suffrage.
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Audience
This amendment was more so directed towards the women of America than the men. Most men already possessed the right to vote, but now with the passing of the 19th Amendment, women could also participate in our democracy.
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Prior Knowledge
The women of America fought hard to achieve the right they felt they deserved. Throughout much of the Progressive period, as well as the Roaring 20's, women had held conventions and demonstrations in an attempt to get their idea of women's suffrage out.
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Reason
The reason the 19th Amendment was passed was because women had proven, through hard work and determination, that they were just as worthy of being able to vote as the men who ran this country. Also, by filling the positions of men in factories during World War I, women proved that they could also work just as hard in a workplace as men could.
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Main Idea
The main idea was that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied by the United States on the account of sex.
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Victorian Women
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Women's Christian Temperance Union Crest
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Typical Flappers
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