...Women of the 1920’s: The true beginning of women’s liberation Amy K. Breitkreitz HIS204: American History Since 1865 Instructor Cora Dunaway December 22, 2014 The 1920’s presented America with some very turbulent times and issues. The true beginning of women’s liberation began during these eras; from women entering the workplace, to being awarded the privilege to vote and stepping out into the social scene causing eyebrows to be raised by their actions. The women of these eras did not realize it then, but they were laying the foundation for American women in the future to become independent, as well as political and workforce pillars in American society. The brave women of the 1920’s suffered great injustices, but persevered to become some of the greatest women in American history in all aspects of life such as politics, marriage, jobs and self-expression. Women who were referred to as flappers started the change in self-expression. Some were considered rebellious by their peers, mostly the older generation, due to their newfound scantily clad bodies and what were considered actions that challenged the morals put in place by society; the flappers transformed what was considered the proper woman into her own person. The less clothing, the shorter the hair, the heavier the makeup the better (Bliven, 1925). In my opinion, it was as time of women breaking free from the molds of what society thought they should be; a time of finding who they were, or letting loose...
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...The roaring twenties are very well known as a time of drastic changes. These changes varied from the style of clothes people wore and the start of flappers. Flappers were known as rebellious women that went against the traditions of women's fashion and lifestyle. One major change the flappers had in the 1920’s era was the fashion change. They began dressing more scandalously for this time by bringing shorter dresses, bobbed hair cuts, comfortable clothing, and loose fitting clothing into style. Fashion drastically changed due to the flappers effect on the population. The reasoning for this change was to be able to move and dance freely through the night. Another impact the flappers had on society was breaking the stereotype that was put on...
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...Traditional views vs. Modernism The 1920’s were a time of great change in the United States of America. There were many new idea on how things should work socially, politically and economically. Many of these ideas created conflicts between modern and traditional views. Traditional views included of having a strong faith, did not believe science over faith, in support of the prohibition, and found jazz music and the flapper culture distasteful. On the other side modern views included of favoring science over faith, disagreed with the prohibition, and was in favor of jazz music and the flapper culture. The 1920’s was an exciting time in America, however there was a immense clash between modern and traditional views. One of the most contradicting views that these two groups had was whether to believe religion over science or vice versa. Traditionalist favored religion while modernist favored science. In a Tennessee high school in the year of 1925, John Scopes; a substitute teacher, was accused of teaching evolution to a state funded school. This went against Tennessee’s Butler Act, which stated that it was unlawful to teach...
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...The 1920’s is a very important time in American History. No decade saw as much change in regards to the role of women in society as the roaring twenties. Men and women each have a unique role in society, and likewise also share many roles equally. Up until this point in American History women were oppressed by a male dominated society and intern were not given the rights, respect, and freedom they deserved. The 1920’s marked the beginning of a great event in which women began stepping up and having a voice. It was a time of liberation for most women. One part of this liberation included the Flapper lifestyle. This lifestyle, not only helped change the role of women outside of the home, but also affected the female influence in politics. The Flapper Lifestyle was a trend that took America by...
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...generation; and while this era seems to portray partying and drinking, it was a critical decade for the advancement of civil rights for men and women. During the 1920’s, women took significant steps towards this equality they desired by enjoying all aspects of their lives, involving themselves both socially and politically, and inspiring young women to act upon their ambitions. Consequently, flappers have revolutionized the way women are viewed in today's society. Women of this generation formed a new type of feminism; they were scandalizing older generations by leaving...
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...In the years of the 1920’s there were many amazing things going on. New things were coming in to play around this time that most people did not expect to see. Some of the more important things going on included; the introduction of flappers, prohibition, The Jazz Age, new children toys, car racing, horse racing, and the Ku Klux Klan. These were only a few of the important things going on, but I am going to go into detail about what a flapper is and how they changed the way society saw women in this era. The flappers in the 1920’s were like a new breed of women. These women drank, smoked, danced, wore their hair how they wanted, went to parties, and wore makeup. There were a few different definitions of a “flapper.” One was a young girl who was still in the awkward stage before womanhood, some people used this word to reference a prostitute, while others merely thought the word...
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...previously associated with men. Before the 1920’s the women found in saloon were often referred to as prostitutes (Clement, 176) Flappers tried to break these assumptions by setting aside some of their most distinctive traits and competing with men along his own lines (Hirshbein, 120) This was done by having a strong presence in not only bars, but redefining the social conventions of calling. Courtship which had the purpose of leading to marriage, was replaced with dating which meant a newfound casualness that wasn’t found in the social norms associated with calling. This more relaxed approach to relationship also lead to a more relaxed attitude towards sex. In this way Flapper gained some social freedoms with their sexual interactions with men, however because this new look on courtship “took dating out of the female and family realm of the front parlor… and into cabarets and movie theaters of the new entertainment economy.”(Clement, 157) Women in particular flappers were often engaged in the concept of “treating”. The definition of this is the exchange of sexual favors for material goods. Although, the flapper symbolized the idea of the New Women, they were only able to slightly blur the gender boundaries present in the 1920’s. Although they started to embrace a newfound sexual liberation, they were met with challenges. Many preachers and politicians in dozens of states proposed laws to would prohibit women from exposing to much flesh” (Kallen 130). Although they felt like...
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...Women’s Life during the 1920s During 1920’s, the idea of fashion and beauty had a huge impact on middle class Americans, especially the women. Wearing accessories like lipstick, eye shadow, mascara and short dresses became part of their everyday style. At that time women’s life style increased to a point where they could expose much of their skin without any hesitation. By the 1920’s, magazines, commercials, Hollywood pictures, newspapers expanded the rate of fashion development. Investing money for clothes became a primary role for women. They spent excessive amount of money on things like hats, clothes, shoes and jewelries (Drowne, Huber 96). Women who used to wear shorts and looked up to other celebrities were called flappers. Women’s...
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...In the 1920's women's roles were soon starting to change. After World War One it was called the "Jazz Age", known for new music and dancing styles. It was also known as the "Golden Twenties" or "Roaring Twenties" and everyone seemed to have money. Both single and married women we earning higher- paying jobs. Women were much more than just staying home with their kids and doing house work. They become independent both financially and literally. Women also earned the right to vote in 1920 after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted. They worked hard for the same or greater equality as men and while all this was going on they also brought out a new style known as the flapper. All this brought them much closer to their goal. In the 1920's the term flapper referred to a "new breed" of women. They wore short skirts and dresses which were straight and very loose. The arms were left bare and the waistline was dropped to the hips. By 1927 the length of the skirts had rose just below the knee which when they danced would be shown. The chests appeared to look very small and women would tape themselves to look even smaller. Bras were also sold to make them appear very small. Their hairstyles were cut very short and were known as a bob, another popular style that was later introduced was the "Eaton" or "Shingle". These styles had slicked the hair back and covered the ears with curls. Women started wearing "kiss proof" lipstick in shades of red, their eyes were ringed a dark black color, and...
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...The role of women in society has been greatly overseen in the last few decades. In the early days women were seen as wives who were intended to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. While men took care of having jobs and paying any bills that had to be paid. Women have made vast improvements in their lifestyles in the past few decades from holding positions in governments, to simple things like getting a job and supporting themselves. In 1920’s, all women were given the right to vote. In the 1930's, the roles of men and women varied greatly. From the workplace to the home, the expectancies were different. The views of both genders were also very different. And things kept changing from one decade to another. The role of women and their importance...
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...Women Changing Role’s in the 1920’s During the 1920’s women had began to change their roles in society to show that they can be more than what they appeared. Before the 1920’s women were second class citizens that came second in society, they did not have the same privileges as men did. Many women also did not have jobs which contributed to society because women were busy at home taking care of children and the house. Also the expectations of men were to be the supporters of the family which made women housewives. Women of the 1920’s were represented as well mannered and proper or a better term “Lady like.” Soon after they began to change how society portrayed them. Women’s changing roles in the 1920’s influenced other women to gain more responsibilities and show men that they are just as equal as they are, such as how they dressed, women’s patriotism, and women’s employment. Women’s roles changed because of how they dressed. Women’s fashion began to dress in a more risqué look with shorter clothing. This new fashion statement began to pick up a reputation and a name called Flappers. Flappers were women who dressed in shorter dresses showing more skin above their ankles that ended near their mid thighs. Their dresses came in various colors and styles, but what all their dresses had in common was silky material and loosely embroidered beading around each dress. Make-up was also one of the biggest and most commonly seen in flapper’s styles. “Five factors had become important...
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...land and their husbands. As the world began to change, so did the view point and the rights of women. This change did not happen overnight and it was not an easy battle. The women of our past paved the road so that the women today can play a major role in the military, politics and on the home front of America. The first battle for women’s rights came in the mid to late 1800’s, prior to the Civil War at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. The movement came to a sudden halt, just as it started to begin, due to the Civil War. In 1869 the proposed 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote, fueled the women’s right movement even more (Bowles 2011). Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton played a major role in the early part of this movement. In May 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was formed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; an organization made up primarily of women. Their object was to secure an amendment to the Constitution in favor of women's suffrage, and they opposed passage of the Fifteenth Amendment unless it was changed to guarantee to women the right to vote. They continued work on The Revolution which included radical feminist challenges to traditional female roles (Ward 1999). Lucy Stone reorganized her Association in late 1869 to launch the much larger and more moderate American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). The AWSA included both men and women as members and they supported the 15th Amendment as it...
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...Airplanes In the 1920's, airplanes affected things such as transportation, war technology, and entertainment. For transportation, mail was transported much quicker and people were able to be transported (at a high cost). During World War I, airplanes were used for bombing, reconnaissance, airship raids, and for strategizing. Airplanes were used mainly to gain an advantage in stalemates like trench warfare. For entertainment purposes, they were used in aerobatic maneuvers, stunts, races, shows, and demonstrations. Charles Lindbergh was a great aviator who helped immensely in banishing doubts about the potential of aircrafts by doing the transatlantic solo flight. Traditionally, airplanes were a war weapon that intrigued many people but were not the safest modes of transportation. However, the more modern cultural values were that airplanes exhibited better uses in travel, had many uses in other industries such as business or airmail, and provided great entertainment for the American people. Assembly Line In the 1920's, the assembly line helped to...
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...A social and force in the changing roles of women was consumerism which took off in the 1920’s and continued to have an impact on women until the 60’s/70’s, which to a small extent gave women an increased sense of independence, through working and self-expression. Industrialisation and the growth of cities laid the platform for mass consumerism in America, by the 1920s, the development of downtown department stores gave accessibility to a vast array of new goods and cities became the centre of cultural change. Mass entertainment was also popular with amusement parks, dance halls and movie theatres resulting in a new visibility of women in the public sphere. The department and chain stores created accessibility to an array of new goods. Women...
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...In the early 1900’s reformers where willing to fight for what they believed in. It was many different reformers that had a big role in influencing and changing America’s politics and governments since the early 20th century also known as the progressive era. These things helped shape our great nation and what it has grown to be. Some of those reform groups where the muckrakers, women’s rights, and flappers. In the beginning of the 20th century women were basically seen as less than men as they weren’t involved in anything political as in voting, being one of them ones to hold office, and they were looked down upon as second class citizens. However, women were willing to protest and fight for equal rights in the early nineteen hundred’s since blacks had the right to vote due to the 15th Amendment in 1870, they also felt they should have a say in who is elected into office. As time developed during the early 20th century, a group of ladies known as flappers showed that they were willing to rebel against what modern America wanted them...
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