...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...
Words: 1744 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that displays love, hate, betrayal and dreams. It takes place in an era of prosperity and wealth known as the roaring 20's. This decade brought many changes to society as well as our world in general, as is seen throughout the book. In the 1920's the 18th amendment was passed which prohibited any intoxicating liquors. This forced a large chain of organized crime in what is known as the "Jazz Era." This particular topic is very evident in the novel The Great Gatsby. My second point being that the roles of women changed drastically in this decade. The actions, as well as descriptions, or many of the female characters in the novel depict the different ways that women had evolved. Also, as another point, due to the economy booming during this time period, people became obsessed with wealth and power. Many of the characters from the novel display this characteristic in they sense that they are all extremely wealthy. Therefore, the novel The Great Gatsby is very representative of life and society during the 1920's in various ways. Prohibition had been passed in 1919, yet there was still high demand for alcohol during the 1920's. F. Scott Fitzgerald displays much of the illegal activities that occurred during this time throughout The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, one of the main characters, is involved in this illegal smuggling and selling of alcohol. He had "bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here in Chicago and sold...
Words: 1396 - Pages: 6
...What is prohibition? Prohibition has to do with the rise of 18th amendment, this amendment stated that Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages that remained in place from 1920 to 1933. This affected people because if the sale, importation, or transportation of alcohol was illegal this would cause people in the united states to be technically committing crimes because they persay needed the alcohol. This also lead to most of the gangs to become bootleggers. This amendment was repealed with the 21st amendment the amendment was repealed because they were not going to obey it anyway and people had began bootlegging.because of the 18th amendment...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 1694 - Pages: 7
...Joshua Zeitz is a historian explaining the significance of the 1920s and how it changed the cultural roles of women. The 1920s was also known as the Jazz age and Zeitz explore two characters being F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald in his book Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity and the Women who made America Modern. Zeitz specifically argues the flapper was not a sudden change in culture but was a product of American Entertainment and new values of the 1920s. To begin with, Zeitz mentions how mass media played a major role in creating the idea of the flapper by emphasizing women’s new freedoms to drink, smoke, date, etc. “Flamming Youth left a lot to be desired. Colleen played the role of Pat Fentriss, the teenage daughter...
Words: 334 - Pages: 2
...Zach Loft Mr. McGuiness English III 0-5 05-18-18 Role of Women in The Great Gatsby The book The Great Gatsby takes place in the time period of the 1920’s. This was a time in which society was changing enormously. Things were changing especially for women's rights. Women began to have more power in the things that they often did. Many of them to drink and smoke and dance in public; which was very uncommon before the war. Although women gained more rights, it was very clear that they still were not equal or equally treated. In the story, the role of women and the social injustices were shown through the female characters Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordan Baker. Daisy Buchanan was a young woman who lived a life that is of high expectations...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...The Booming Roar of The Canadian 1920’s Many Countries go through the business cycle throughout their history, and prosperity is the part of the cycle that truly roars. In 1920’s, Canada, the great prosperity roared, and it was great for all. Everything in Canada roared by 1924 and life was extremely satisfying for the average Canadian, as quality of life was at an all- time high. The future for Women began to appear to be very bright as they made many big steps for the purpose of women’s rights. There was a great deal of women who began to get involved with government. Therefore, the Canadian government recognized the change beginning, and the growing number of women who were starting to make a stand for their rights, and consequently creating...
Words: 1598 - Pages: 7
...country began, women in America have always been forced into boxes. These boxes, of course, are not literal boxes, but rather they are the patriarchal norms that women are expected to abide by if they wish to be accepted by society. These standards were to be upheld by women regardless of any personal preferences or individuality; at this time women were not people, but accessories for the men they married. Though there are many steps still to be taken to further the modern feminist itinerary, one of the first real waves of change occurred throughout the 1920’s. For the American woman, the 1920’s were a decade mainly surrounding the transition out of the home, the beginning of sexual freedom and expression, and women’s suffrage....
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
...World War One: It was not one single event that created the wild, society-challenging flappers, but many things in the beginning of the nineteenth century that all added up on one another. One of the biggest steps into creating flappers was World War One. Women began to get a taste of independence during World War One, when they had to make lifestyle changes to make up for the absence of men at home. They joined the workforce.Now women got a taste of what independence was like, since they didn’t have men around anymore to lean on or, in some cases, hold them back. This lead to women needing to make more changes to adapt; Women couldn’t have long hair and long skirts like they did for years before. Women then realized the convenience and practicality...
Words: 1363 - Pages: 6
...Running head: WOMEN IN AMERICA 1 ! Women In America Katarina Davison HIS204: American History Since 1985 Laverne Peralta February 2nd , 2015 WOMEN IN AMERICA 2 ! In the history of the world, women have ruled the world, shaped the world, and changed the world and in the United States, women have had a storied and grand history that has evolved the role of women from typical housewife to leaders of women's rights movements and has shown their true worth and true potential to their male counterparts. In this paper, I will be talking about six key events and time periods that have changed not just women's history but the overall history a nation. Three of these events and time periods will be before 1930 and three of them will be after 1930 to give the reader an overall sense of the evolution of the role women have played. The events that I will be talking about are the roles that women played in World War One beginning in 1914, the second historic event is the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, the third time period I will be talking about before 1930 is that of the roaring 1920s. After 1930, the changes were still happening for women and World War II was a major point in the evolution of what it means to be a woman, this time period was quickly followed by the baby boom. The final time period I will discuss is the Feminist Movement in the 1960s and how those efforts have led to a lasting impression of who women are in today's modern era. WOMEN IN AMERICA...
Words: 1613 - Pages: 7
...The Advancement of Women Tammy Phillips HIS 204 Instructor Vera Parham January 8, 2014 The Advancement of Women Through History Women’s Rights have grown stronger through the years. Women have gone from being seen and not heard to having a voice, supporting war multiple war efforts, and becoming politicians. In the landmark case of Roe verses Wade gave women the right to own their own body with the decision of whether or not to have an abortion. Women were battling for equality as well as the right to vote. This suffrage was a long drawn out battle through the years but finally was won. Women’s roles during all three wars, the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II, included nurses, clerical positions, and they back filled spouse’s duties at home. A “New Woman came about in the 1920s as women changed their attitude along with hair, make-up and attitude. All of the progressions were won due to persistence. Women have played a significant throughout the wars in America, not just stateside but abroad. “The Spanish-American War created a substantial need for military nurses” (Small, 1998). Dr Anita Newcomb McGee became the nurse’s bureau chief. This was the first time contract nurses were hired to in military hospital. In September 1918, 1,100 nurses were serving in the United and overseas. During World War I women were allowed to serve in non-nursing positions performing clerical duties. 34,000 women served in the military and 10,000 served as...
Words: 2479 - Pages: 10
...From 1920 to 2015 women have gained a lot of power when it comes to laws, but gender roles have not progressed nearly as much. A Lot has changed from 1920 to 2015, for example women have gained voting rights and are no longer legally allowed to be discriminated against, but does that really matter? Is it legal change that women need or is it a cultural change? I believe it is a cultural change, culturally from 1920 to 2015 not much has changed. Both Lean In and the Antis documents show this. For example women are still thought of as stupid and inferior, in the 1920’s men did not want women to vote because they thought women would cause a “... backward step in the progress of civilization”(Antis Document). Now in the 21st century you cannot say that, otherwise bad things...
Words: 470 - Pages: 2
...The Women of Today are Thankful for the Women of Our Past Student Name HIST 204 Naomi Rendina September 3, 2012 The Women of Today are Thankful for the Women of Our Past The American Women started out as the basic homemaker since coming to the New World. They were seen as nothing but a person that should stay home with the children, tend to the 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...
Words: 1970 - Pages: 8