Women's Movement In The 1920s

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U.S History 2
Dr. Tyrone Tilery
April 30, 2015

The Women’s Movement of the 1920’s

A woman in the 1920’s had experienced many different societies and faces of the U.S. Following the First World War, social issues gained more recognition and the nineteenth amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920. This changed the way women were viewed and the way they viewed themselves. In America, a Narrative History by David E. Shi and George Brown Tindall, the history of the nineteen-twenties in the U.S. make it clear that this era brought about a new generation of American women. This new generation was coined “the new women”. During the roaring twenties, women freely expressed their independence through fashion, music, and parties,
and completely transformed the social scene of America. But their new social status gave them strength to be more than just flappers. These years saw a huge increase in college educated women and following the market crash in 1929, many women got even their families through the great depression. Prior to the 20’s, women’s suffrage had been a seldom discussed topic.
Other than educated women who felt the frustration of being underrepresented in the political scene, not many women were actively fighting for their voting rights at the turn of the century. Two of the first patrons of women’s rights were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who led the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Congress was very unresponsive to their efforts and the movement had little effect legally. Socially however, Stanton and Anthony’s influence lasted and grew in the decades to come. During her time traveling the country in support of women’s rights, Stanton gave many speeches to motivate girls to seek higher education. The change in women’s social status created more demand for women’s suffrage and by the 1920’s it was a full blown movement. After numerous protests throughout the country including a 200 woman protest outside the white house in 1970, the right to vote regardless of sex was amended to the constitution on August 20, 1920. Perhaps this huge progressive leap was what caused the dramatic change in society and the way women viewed themselves in the years to come. The
nineteenth amendment changed the social and political landscape for women in the U.S. Prior to 1920, women had already been fighting for their voices to be heard in government and many had succeeded. Jeanette Rankin was among these women. Voted into state congress in 1917, Rankin was the first woman to ever hold a position in congress. The only congress person to vote against participation in both world wars, she was not afraid to stand firm in her beliefs even as the minority. Her accomplishments were an inspiration for the many women who would hold powerful positions in the years to come. But women everywhere felt the social changes suffrage brought in the twenties. With their new voice in the political world, many women explored careers and lifestyles outside of what traditional deemed appropriate. With more and more females entering the workforce and pursuing respectable careers, families were receiving more income thus stimulating the economy. This improvement of the average American’s lifestyle is what prompted the era known as the roaring twenties. The roaring twenties brought about a new generation of free thinking, party-going, optimistic Americans.
American literature from this era such as books by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemmingway depicted the lavish and spirited lifestyles of young women in the twenties. The most prominent feature of the 20’s lifestyle was the fashion. Nicknamed “flappers”, stylish women challenged the fashion choices of the past with shorter hemlines, short hair, and dresses that downplayed femininity. In fact, having a boyish figure was the style and waistlines were at the hips instead of the waist. Long feminine hair was cut neck length in an angled bob. Every aspect of fashion at the time was to emphasize the freeness women now felt from tradition. The social scene was just as lively and large parties with dancing and music like never before were very common. But not all women were part of the enduring flapper image. Many remained in their homes where they raised children and remained housewives. The “new woman” movement stated the freedom women had to break free from traditional roles but the housewife life gained a new respect especially in the years after the roaring twenties. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crash changed the lives of millions. At the start of the great depression, women saw it as a chance to get out there and find jobs to help support their families. With unemployment rates reaching up to thirty percent, families, particularly women began taking
jobs that many might have thought were beneath them such as janitors, cooks, clerks, etc. Even in the years following the great depression, women chose to not return to previous lifestyles and remained in the work force. Tindall and Shi’s accounts of American history lay emphasis on the individualism Americans have gained throughout history. Women especially gained individuality during the nineteen twenties and were not afraid to show it. From personal style to lifestyle and career choices, vote, life for women in the twenties was all about choice. It was about the choice to break the rules society had laid out for females for years and were ready to be replaced by individuality and most importantly empowerment.

Works Cited

Tindall, George Brown, and David E. Shi. "The Modern Temper." America: A Narrative History. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2004. Print.