Gender in Modern American History

🙋🏽‍♀️Gender in Modern American History Unit 4 – Gender & Progressive Era Reforms

The Progressive Era saw women at the forefront of social reform. From 1890 to 1920, they fought for better working conditions, temperance, and suffrage. This period challenged traditional gender roles as women entered the workforce and public sphere. Women's activism during this time had lasting impacts. The suffrage movement led to the 19th Amendment, while labor reforms improved conditions for workers. These efforts laid the groundwork for future social and political movements in America.

Key Concepts and Definitions

  • Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) period of social activism and political reform in the United States
  • Muckrakers journalists who exposed social and economic injustices through their writing
  • Settlement houses community centers that provided social services and education to the poor and immigrants
  • Temperance movement aimed to limit or ban the production and sale of alcohol
  • Suffragettes women who advocated for the right to vote
  • Maternalism belief that women had a unique role in society as mothers and caregivers
  • Domesticity ideal that women should focus on the home and family life

Historical Context

  • Rapid industrialization and urbanization led to social and economic challenges
    • Overcrowding in cities
    • Poor working conditions in factories
    • Exploitation of labor, especially women and children
  • Influx of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe changed demographics
  • Rise of the middle class with increased education and leisure time
  • Victorian era values emphasized separate spheres for men and women
    • Men in the public sphere of work and politics
    • Women in the private sphere of home and family
  • Women's clubs and organizations emerged as a way for women to participate in public life

Gender Roles in the Progressive Era

  • Traditional gender roles were challenged and redefined during the Progressive Era
  • Women increasingly entered the workforce, particularly in clerical and factory jobs
    • Driven by economic necessity and expanding opportunities
    • Still faced discrimination and lower wages compared to men
  • Women's roles as consumers and household managers gained importance
    • Home economics movement emphasized scientific approach to homemaking
  • Changing attitudes towards marriage and sexuality
    • Companionate marriage ideal emphasized emotional intimacy and partnership
    • Birth control movement advocated for women's reproductive rights
  • Men's roles as providers and protectors were reinforced
    • Muscular Christianity movement promoted physical fitness and moral character

Major Reform Movements

  • Women played a significant role in various progressive reform movements
  • Settlement house movement, led by women like Jane Addams, provided social services to the poor
  • Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) advocated for alcohol prohibition
    • Argued that alcohol abuse was a threat to family life and women's safety
  • National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) fought for women's right to vote
  • National Association of Colored Women (NACW) addressed issues facing African American women
    • Focused on education, social services, and civil rights
  • Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) supported women workers and labor reforms
  • Purity crusades aimed to combat prostitution and sexual double standards

Women's Suffrage Movement

  • Long campaign to secure women's right to vote in the United States
  • Seneca Falls Convention (1848) marked the beginning of the organized suffrage movement
    • Declaration of Sentiments outlined grievances and demands for women's rights
  • National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) formed in 1890
    • Led by Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt
    • Focused on state-by-state campaigns for suffrage
  • More militant tactics emerged with the National Woman's Party (NWP) led by Alice Paul
    • Picketing, hunger strikes, and protests
  • Ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote nationwide

Labor Reforms and Gender

  • Women workers faced unique challenges and exploitation in the industrial workforce
  • Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (1911) highlighted dangerous working conditions for women
    • Led to increased support for labor reforms and unions
  • Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) advocated for women workers' rights
    • Supported strikes and lobbied for protective legislation
  • Minimum wage laws and maximum hour laws were passed in some states
    • Muller v. Oregon (1908) upheld Oregon's 10-hour workday for women
  • National Consumers' League boycotted products made under exploitative conditions
  • Women played a key role in the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU)

Social and Cultural Changes

  • New opportunities for women's education and professional development
    • Women's colleges like Vassar and Wellesley were established
    • Women entered professions like teaching, nursing, and social work
  • Rise of the "New Woman" ideal challenged traditional gender norms
    • More independent, educated, and politically active
    • Reflected in fashion changes like shorter skirts and bobbed hair
  • Increased participation in sports and physical activities
    • Bicycling craze of the 1890s gave women greater mobility and freedom
  • Birth control movement, led by Margaret Sanger, advocated for reproductive rights
    • Opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. in 1916
  • Changing sexual mores and the rise of dating culture
    • Increased social interaction between young men and women
    • Challenged traditional notions of courtship and chaperonage

Legacy and Impact

  • Progressive Era reforms laid the groundwork for later social and political movements
  • Women's suffrage paved the way for greater political participation and representation
    • First women elected to Congress in 1916 and 1920
  • Labor reforms improved working conditions and wages for women and men
    • Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established federal minimum wage and maximum hours
  • Social welfare programs and government regulations expanded
    • Laid the foundation for the New Deal and the modern welfare state
  • Cultural changes in gender roles and expectations continued to evolve
    • Flappers of the 1920s represented a new ideal of femininity
    • Women's participation in the workforce increased during World War I and II
  • Legacy of women's activism and leadership in social reform movements
    • Inspired future generations of feminists and civil rights activists


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.