The United States Suffragette Movement: Women's Role In Society

Ever since the beginning of its time, The United States did not provide sufficient rights to its women. It was not until the year 1920, 144 years after the first bill of rights, that women received the right to vote in national elections. For almost a century, women of America had been pushing and fighting to have rights of their own, whether it be by protesting, holding conventions, or even rallying in the streets. The women of America were persistent in their fight and would call themselves, suffragettes, playing on the word suffrage, meaning the right to vote. The United States suffragette movement improved women’s roles in society by allowing more women to attend college, get better jobs, and overall gave women more rights. Once women earned
The number of students attending high school doubled between 1920 and 1930. Many of the schools now offered new kinds of classes to prepare students for useful jobs” (Jarmul). With more and more women continuing to high school, there were more and more opportunities for them to learn new skills. These classes help women advance in society because now they can do more for their families and for themselves. They can handle smaller jobs; they can teach their children, and they can also contribute to the family. This was very important for women’s advancements because women were seen as more valuable and more respected in society. With more education, there were more opportunities for careers coming to these women within the next decade. As the 1920’s quickly became the ‘30’s time was changing, and so was women’s career opportunities. During the 20th century, thanks to the exponential increase of companies in roaring 20’s, jobs were everywhere. Companies were expanding and needing more workers, income increased, and new products were available to every person. During the world wars, many women were needed to help create and ship out goods to soldiers across the sea. Women were taking off in the science, medical, mathematical, technological, and engineering fields. There were so many opportunities for women, and they were clinging
One might object that after the 1920’s, women did not advance in society until much later in the century. Even after women got the right to vote, many more women’s rights were not passed until the 1950’s or later; proving further that women were not moving up in society as quickly as believed. For example, the Equal Pay Act was not passed until 41 years after the suffrage win, Roe v Wade being passed 53 years later, and many more. With as many rights being granted to women during the twentieth century, many rights were being taken away. In Florida in 1961, The U.S. Supreme Court upholds rules adopted by the state of Florida that made it less likely for women to be called for jury service on the grounds that a “woman is still regarded as the center of home and family life” (NWHP). Women were not advancing in society as quickly as proposed, and one could argue that they were even taking steps back in their