American Women In The Early 1900's

Some believe life was simpler when women were kept pregnant in the winter and barefoot in the summer. But if you think about it, American women have always worked whether in the kitchen, on the farm, or later in the factory and in the office. However, women today feel bombarded with alternatives, with choices that must be made. The role of the American working woman has changed drastically since the beginning of the century because of certain factors causing an increase in the number of women in the workforce, because of the rising cost of living, and because of the education now offered to women.
During the early 1900's, very few women worked in any particular industry. Most were running households and raising children while unmarried women were relegated to the secretarial pool or the local department store. In August of 1917, the United States declared war against the Central Powers in Europe. Many people believed women would not be needed in the workforce during this
As Kay Mills wrote in From Pocahontas to Power Suits, policy makers shaped the school curriculum in the early twentieth century. Politics and the relative strength of various women's lobbying groups dictated the outcome. The earliest women's colleges were designed to offer classes and accommodations under one roof, partly to build a community among faculty and students, partly to protect the female students from the outside world. However, today women attend college in order to receive a good education, in order to meet new acquaintances, and in order to learn to live on their own. Because more and more women are attending college, there has been an increase in the number of working women who hold high-paying positions and there are an amazing number of women who not only work in corporate offices, but also own corporate