Women's Civil Rights

1848

1848

Seneca Falls - the first convention to discuss women’s suffrage.

Sojourner Truth

A formerly enslaved woman who campaigned for abolition and women’s rights with her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech in 1851.

Lucretia Mott

Quaker and social reformer who founded the American Equal Rights Association in 1866.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

Est 1874, this aimed to ban alcohol in order to safeguard families. There were 27,000 women in 1880, and 800,000 in 1920.

18th Amendment - Jan 1919

Banned alcohol but this was repealed in 1933.

1883

Women’s National Indian Association for Native Americans formed.

Mary Elizabeth Lease

A well-known Populist (left-wing anti-establishment movements) who often led protests - she was one of the key leaders of the reforming impulse of the Gilded Age.

American Equal Rights Association

Est 1866, this aimed to remove restrictions on the basis of both race and gender.

National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA)

Est 1869, and led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It only allowed female members and they focused on women’s suffrage through national change and feminism on a wide scale.

American Women Suffrage Association (AWSA)

This was led by Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe, they allowed both men and women to join and they aimed to promote change by starting on a state level.

National American Women’s Suffrage Association

This was est in 1890 with the merger of 2 other significant groups. The splits and internal divisions weakened their cause and many women put their energies elsewhere such as the temperance movement.

1869

Wyoming granted women suffrage.

1871-72

Susan B Anthony and 150 others were arrested for electoral malpractice when they tested the 14th and 15th Amendments.

1875

The SC ruled against voting rights for women when Virginia Minor sued Missouri (but they did rule that states could decide).

National Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage

Est 1911, this was organised opposition led by women who feared that suffrage would lead to a lack of choice - they wouldn’t be allowed to stay at home with children or their place in the household would be respected less).

Congressional Union

A more militant group formed by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns in 1913. (Renamed the National Women’s Party in 1916).

1919

19th Amendment

35%

Turnout for women voters in 1920 vs 67% of men.

1920

NAWSA evolved into the League of Women voters but only 5-10% of the old members joined.

75%

In 1920, this percent of states had protective legislation for women’s working hours.

275,000

By 1934, there were this many women working in the Civil Works Administration.

740,000

This many women were involved in New Deal relief work.

Frances Perkins

Famously appointed Secretary for Labor and member of the Cabinet during the 1930s.

350,000

This many women worked in the military during WW2, but pay remained unequal ($30 weekly for manufacturing jobs vs $55)

2 million

This number of women were fired from heavy industry following the war

1964 Civil Rights Act

The publication of this act led to women bringing legal cases of discrimination forward and the National Organisation for Women was founded in 1966.

1963

Betty Friedan wrote the Feminine Mystique explored women’s discontent with the post-war period) and led to a new ideology for political and social change.

1963

Report on American Women: published stats on unequal pay, opportunities and political involvement - this disturbed many of the elite.

40%

By the 1970s, this percent lived in suburban areas which bred conservative attitudes and reinforced traditional roles - women who asked for equality were seen as masculinising themselves.

Women’s Equity League Action

Est 1968, protested for equality in education and brought action against 300 schools and colleges, despite disagreements with NOW against abortion-law reform.

1967 Executive Order

Order against sex discrimination by companies with federal contracts.

1953

An amendment to the proposed ERA was suggested so women could keep special protections e.g. limits on working hours. This meant that it was not full equality so it was less appealing to some supporters.

1963 Equal Pay Act

This act seemed to negate the need for a constitutional amendment so it temporarily prevented progress.

1970

NOW picketed outside Congress for equality (ERA).

1972

Strike of 20,000 women calling for an ERA.

1972

ERA was put forward to Congress by Martha Griffiths who had to exempt women from the draft and it passed.

Phyllis Schlafly

A Republican from Illinois who radically opposed feminism in favour of family values. She suggested that feminists were not real women and that women should stay home and raise children. She utilised support from conservative religious Churches to form effective opposition.

Rational Argument against women’s rights

Fears that women would lose protective rights (e.g. working hours) or alimony rights (pay after a divorce for childcare) or be liable to military service.

Traditional values opposing the ERA

Support for traditional family values and separate spheres; custody of children; “mom and apple pie values”.

1970

Kate Millet published Sexual Politics where she fought against the patriarchy, and explored political disillusionment because despite the 19th Amendment, men still had most of the power.

1977

Tax relief for children was introduced.

63%

In 1956, women earned this percent of men’s wages.

53%

In 1973, women earned this percent of men’s wages.

100,000

This many women were involved in some form of women’s groups during the 1970s.

1984

Geraldine Ferraro was selected as the first female vice presidential candidate.

3

Average number of children per family in 1920, vs 5 in 1861.

15%

This percent of free women worked in 1870.

2%

By 1914, this percent of trade union members were women.

30%

By 1920, this percent of uni degrees were awarded to women.

17%

Women made up this proportion of the workforce in 1900.

1903

Women’s Trade Union League formed and ended up numbering 150,000.

1917

The diaphragm was invented by Margaret Sanger.

1936

Birth control devices were made legal.

800,000

Female union membership at the end of the 1930s.

15%

During the Depression, women made up 15% of the workforce.

82%

In 1936, this proportion of Americans were against women working.

6 million

This many women entered the workforce during WW2 and they made up about 1/3 of the workforce.

Lanham Act of 1940

Provided day care centres for working women, but this was withdrawn after WW2.

1970

Women’s Strike for Equality was radical and significant in raising awareness.

1972

Equal Employment Opportunity Act: supposed to prevent discrimination for workplaces and employment based on sex.

1972: Eisenstadt v. Baird

The pill became available to all women, but this was thought to encourage promiscuity.

1973

Roe v. Wade: Norma McCorvey challenged Texas’ rules about abortion claiming they were unconstitutional (9th Amendment) and this led to a decision that states could not prohibit abortions in the first trimester.

1992

SC decision (Planned Parenthood v. Casey) which allowed states to maintain regulations on abortions, even during the first trimester.

1986

By this year, half of university graduates were women.

1991

Anita Hill’s sexual harassment case against Clarence Thomas which was dismissed by a misogynistic Supreme Court.

1981

The first woman was elected to the Supreme Court - Sandra Day O’Connor

Betty Friedan

Author of Feminine Mystique (1963), she was elected the first president of NOW and is credited with starting second-wave feminism.

$5

This was the average wage for 70 hours of work for Hispanic immigrants who were forced into factory positions for cheap labour around 1900.

25%

By 1900, women made up this percent of the factory workforce.

10-fold

Between 1865 and 1914, the number of women involved in clerical work increased this much.

Patriotic League

A branch of the Red Cross (WW1) which organised women for wartime activities e.g. social work and war services.

12%

This percentage of wives worked in the 1920s, but this was required to support families, not for liberation.

Linda Eaton

The first female firefighter who filed in court (with the help of NOW) because she was not allowed to breastfeed her young son during her work breaks. This demonstrates that childcare rights were still a prominent issue in 1979.

2

The number of female senators by 1990 (/100).

Social Justice feminists

Feminists during the New Deal who agreed to support getting men back to work instead of women (focus on national issues) in order to gain support/ hold more power e.g. Florence Kelly.

Mary Dewson

Head of the Women’s Division of the Democratic National Party during the New Deal.

1933

Federal Emergency Relief Act: supported homeless women as a recognition of the hardship faced by women due to New Deal legislation.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Former First Lady who acted as a role model for many women, she used mass media to focus on women’s rights and had a role in the UN.

1937

Farm Security Act: supported some women who were farmers, but did little to change social attitudes and expectations (shows how legislation could not alter attitudes)

1938

Fair Labor Standards Act did not guarantee a minimum wage for women.

2/3

This proportion of the Black Panthers were women in the 1970s.

Elaine Brown

She was the second in charge of the Black Panthers (right behind Huey Newton), she was in charge when Newton fled to Cuba in 1974. She focused on electoral politics and community service when she was in charge 1974-77.

1965

The Nation of Islam condemned the “sins of birth control”

1967

Angela Davis spoke out against sexism within the BPM.

1881

KOL offered support for female workers.

50,000

By the mid-1880s, there were this many women in unions and 113 women’s assemblies (committees)

Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones)

She spent 50 years supporting the wives of miners, she organised a march against child labour and co-founded the Wobblies (GA)

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

Activist during the Gilded Age who was a prominent IWW member and a significant communist (she died in Russia and was given a Red State funeral with over 25,000 people).

1882

Textile Mill strike in Massachusetts which failed after 4 months due to a lack of support from male unions.