Historical Development of Women in the 19th Century
Historical Developments for Women in the 19th Century
Bert Jackson
HIS 204
March 05, 2012
Tim Johnston
Historical Developments for Women in the 19th Century
American women today are afforded many rights. They are thought of as equal to
their male counterparts. This hasn’t always been the case. Women had to fight for the rights
that are often taken for granted. In the 19th century, America experienced changes that
expanded the role of women. Women were needed to help carve out a life in the wilderness
of the West and as workers in factories. During WWI and WWII, women kept America
strong. With these new responsibilities, women began to demand the right to more privileges.
The right to the vote and access to contraception are only two of the requests they made for
equality. With the onset of major historical changes all across America, women were
presented with opportunities to change their way of life, ending the isolation that had kept
them in the domestic sphere in times past.
During the 19th century, major cities expanded exponentially. Not everyone
wanted to live in the city. Improved transportation made travelling long distances more bearable.
As a result, more Americans took advantage of this and headed into the West. In search of
economic conquest, cattle ranchers and precious metal miners came prepared to build a life. To
be successful, these men would need wives, the first women of the West. “For the West to come
into existence as an American place at all, the presence of women—white women—was
required, not simply as isolated transients like Susan Magoffin, but white women by the
thousands, come to stay” (Scharff, 2002 p.68).
In the west, women could not simply stay in the house. There was more work to
be done than the men could achieve without help. The whole family would need to work to keep
every aspect of frontier life running smoothly. [Women] engaged in work
Bert Jackson
HIS 204
March 05, 2012
Tim Johnston
Historical Developments for Women in the 19th Century
American women today are afforded many rights. They are thought of as equal to
their male counterparts. This hasn’t always been the case. Women had to fight for the rights
that are often taken for granted. In the 19th century, America experienced changes that
expanded the role of women. Women were needed to help carve out a life in the wilderness
of the West and as workers in factories. During WWI and WWII, women kept America
strong. With these new responsibilities, women began to demand the right to more privileges.
The right to the vote and access to contraception are only two of the requests they made for
equality. With the onset of major historical changes all across America, women were
presented with opportunities to change their way of life, ending the isolation that had kept
them in the domestic sphere in times past.
During the 19th century, major cities expanded exponentially. Not everyone
wanted to live in the city. Improved transportation made travelling long distances more bearable.
As a result, more Americans took advantage of this and headed into the West. In search of
economic conquest, cattle ranchers and precious metal miners came prepared to build a life. To
be successful, these men would need wives, the first women of the West. “For the West to come
into existence as an American place at all, the presence of women—white women—was
required, not simply as isolated transients like Susan Magoffin, but white women by the
thousands, come to stay” (Scharff, 2002 p.68).
In the west, women could not simply stay in the house. There was more work to
be done than the men could achieve without help. The whole family would need to work to keep
every aspect of frontier life running smoothly. [Women] engaged in work
References: Bowles, M. (2011). A history of the United States since 1865. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Cole, J. H. (1995). Women pilots of World War II. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. Cooper, J. M. (1990). Pivotal decades: The United States, 1900–1920. New York: Norton. Fulton, J. (1869). Woman as God Made Her; The True Woman. Boston : Lee and Shepard. Retrieved From http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/S?ammem/nawbib:@field%28TITL Vol. 20, No. 6 (Nov. - Dec., 1988), pp. 288-297. Published by Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2135485 Riley, Glenda. (1992). A place to grow: Women in the American West. Arlington Heights, IL: Harlan Davidson. Scharff, V. (2002). Twenty Thousand Roads: Women, Movement, and the West. Ewing, NJ: University of California Press Woloch, N. (2006). Women and the American experience. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 100 Milestone Documents. 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote (1920)