The Changing Role of Women in 1920s - 811 Words

A woman of 1920 would be surprised to know that she would be remembered as a new woman. Significant changes for women took place in politics, at home, in workplace, and in education. POLITICAL CHANGE: Many women believed that it was their right and duty to take a serious part in politics. When passed in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote but surprisingly, some women didnt want the vote. A widespread attitude was that womens roles and mens roles did not overlap, this idea of separate spheres held that women should concern themselves with home, children, and religion, while men took care of business and politics. North Carolina opponents of woman suffrage claimed that women are not the equal of men†¦show more content†¦Before 1920 Most women particularly white women did not work outside the home. They performed traditional domestic responsibilities of conserving food and fuel resources in the early part of the war. FEMALE UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE U.S: In the United States in the 1920s, only about 15 percent of white and 30 percent of black married women with wage-earning husbands held paying jobs. Most Americans believed that women should not work outside the home if their husbands held jobs. As a result of this attitude, wives seldom worked at outside jobs. However, some married women in desperate need took jobs in textile mills. During World War One Women joined the military and took the role as nurses. Women started to work as accountants, telephone operators, and steel mill workers. DISCRIMINATION AT WORK: By 1922 North Carolina was a leading manufacturing state, and the mills were hiring female floor workers. Cotton mills also employed a few nurses, teachers, and social workers to staff social and educational programs. These mills did not hire black women because of segregation. As a consequence, white millworkers often hired black women as domestic and child-care workers. YOUNG UNMARRIED WOMEN: Public acceptance of wage-earning jobs for young unmarried women was growing. No longer being limited to work as mill girls or domestics, these women began to perform clerical work in offices andShow MoreRelatedChanging Roles Of Women During The 1920s1590 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s had a big impact on American life all around; however, one of the biggest changes during this time period was in the roles of women. During this time period, women started dressing different, leaving the house, getting jobs, and gaining rights. On top of all of that, they had a bigger role in education, they began taking parts in politics, and divorce became more of a common thing. This may not seem like a big deal to people today, but this was very important at the time. 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