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Women in Us History

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Submitted By slhodgson
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1. American women’s history has been on a rollercoaster ride since 1877. While American women’s history has experienced numerous themes or ideas, two that have been consistent throughout history is that of women’s rights, which encompasses the second theme of gender roles. From the beginning of this course, we have studied and read about gender and the roles that society believes the different sexes to be responsible for. Since the beginning, women were not granted or afforded a life independent from their spouse or significant other. They were considered property of their spouse, allowing them to do with as they please. Women were seen as inferior to men and were denied the same luxuries as men. Societal beliefs were that a woman’s role was as the homemaker. She was responsible for taking care of the home and children and keeping things in order for her spouse, who was the party responsible for financially caring for the family. It was thought that if women were afforded male luxuries, such as voting, gender roles in the home would change, something that males did not want to see happen. When the National American Women’s Suffrage Association formed in the 1890s, women lacked many of the rights that men had and were fighting to obtain voting rights equal to that of men. These rights would be the first step in gaining equality for women. This was the beginning of what would pave the way for the great women’s movement and what we know as the Equal Rights Amendment today. Gender roles are still faced today. Society still holds the prejudice of male roles versus female roles in some aspects. Women are still known to be the main homemakers and carers of children. There are jobs in which society still believes to be a ‘woman’s role’ such as jobs in the clerical field, in this same aspect, women are also holding positions that were once thought of as male dominated.

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