Women Progress

Women’s history in the United States is a topic that can be overloading with information, so I decide to create a timeline that will help facilitate focusing on important events that took place. For instance, I will be concentrating on the roles of women during the Seneca Falls Convention, the 15th amendment, 19th amendment, equal rights amendment, equal pay act, civil rights act, reproductive rights, the world wars, and women’s liberation.


During the 1800’s slavery was common and was being practiced throughout the entire country. However, there were individuals that frowned upon this practice. Among these individuals were two very important women who helped spark the beginning in seeking equality for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were two American women who traveled to London in 1840 to attend the world anti-slavery convention. To their surprise they were denied entry to the convention because of their sex; because they were women. Infuriated by this, these two women organized the Seneca Falls Convention that took place in New York 1848. A few hundred women gathered and thus began a quest in gaining equal rights for women. During this convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton introduced the Declaration of Sentiments that demonstrated the unjust tyrant control that men possessed over women. Some of these sediments included but are not limited to taking property rights from women, depriving them of a thorough education, giving no voice or say and turning then “civilly dead.”

The objective of getting women equal rights and suffrage was put on pause with the civil war. As a result of the civil war, three new amendments were added to the constitution. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are also known as the civil war amendments. In 1865 the 13th amendment finally abolished slavery from the United States. In 1868 the 14th amendment stated that all those born or naturalized in the U.S. were considered citizens. The 15th amendment stated than no citizen could be denied to vote due to race or skin color. However, the 14 amendment is the amendment that had the biggest impact on women’s suffrage in the United States because it specifically grated ‘males’ the right to vote. Women played a major role in helping abolish slavery and when the final ratification of the 14th amendment occurred they expected to also be recognized as rightful voters. The 14th amendment brought nothing but betrayal and disappointment to the feminist community, especially to Susan B. Anthony. Susan B. Anthony was an important woman who was also an advocate for women’s right to vote. She traveled throughout the country, and was an active woman who lobbied at state capitols, met with congressmen, and attended suffrage conventions. After the ratification of the 14th amendment, Susan B. Anthony was determined to cast her ballot in the elections of 1875. To the surprise of many, her ballot was accepted; however she was later arrested for this action. Anthony argued that the 14th amendment granted American citizens the right to vote and therefore women should be allowed to vote.

In 1851 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton met. Both women, passionate over gaining women’s suffrage formed the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. Later in 1890 NWSA united with the American Woman Suffrage to form the National American Women Suffrage Association. Susan B. Anthony was the president of the association and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the vice president. Together, along with many other women, they where determined to help grant women the right to vote. In 1920, with the ratification of the 19th amendment, women were finally granted the right to vote. Unfortunately neither Susan B. Anthony nor Elizabeth Stanton were alive to see their goal accomplished but they were the initiators in a long battle for women’s suffrage.

With the arrival of the two world wars, women roles in society dramatically changed because they were filling in for the men that were sent out overseas. Women on the home front were encouraged to leave their homes to help out as much as possible. During WWI women began to work to the military, although they were not in combat, they did take clerk related jobs. The Red Cross trained nurses to go to France to help attend the injured. During World War two in 1942 Rosie the Riveter became a popular symbol in representing strong, patriotic, independent, working women who where keeping up the fort at home. These women were working in factories dedicated in making supplies such as ammunition, and airplanes for the war. American industry was becoming dependent of women. 15000 American women served in the Women’s Army Corps. They took jobs such as weather observers, forecasters, cryptographers, radio operators, control tower observers. Women were also managing food supplies, providing healthcare, and food services. Women role where essential during the worlds wars.

During the 1960’s and 1970’s a second wave of feminist movement took place. This was known as the women’s liberation. During liberation, women were encouraged to step out of their domestic roles and seek complete equality. For example, when it came to wages, women were considered to be cheap labor because employers could get away with paying women half of what men were paid. In 1963 the Equal Pay Act was passed and thus put an end to unequal wages. It stated that both men and women were required equal pay for equal work. With the passage of the act, employers used it as an excuse to hire more men. They argued that they might as well hire men for jobs if they are required to pay women equally for the same jobs. This quickly became an issue because women were not only losing jobs, but they were also having an extremely difficult time facing employment discrimination due to their gender. But have women really over come unequal wages? We are definitely closing the wage gap between women and men however it has taken us an extremely long time to do so. Unfortunately women are still coming up short in their paychecks in comparison to men. According to Deborah Kolb, back in 1975 women only made 63 cents for a mans dollar. In 2000 women only make 78 cents for every dollar. Yes, it is an improvement but it is definitely not equal.

Employment discrimination was also a problem because it was preventing women from gaining employment. Employers did not want to hire women because they preferred men. In 1964 the Civil Right Act Title VII was passed. This title prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in employment. Many state laws regulating women’s work was removed in the 1960’s and 1970’s. However it seem like discrimination against women in the workplace still exist today. For instance the glass ceiling theory can be seen; although it is slowly narrowing. According to Gary N. Powell women in American labor force was 46% in 1998, representing a 1% increase since 1990. Women in management positions position was 44% in 1998, representing a 5% since 1990. The proportion of female corporate officer in FORTUNE 500 Corporation was 8.7% in 1995, 10.0% in 1996, 10.6% in 1997 and 11.2% in 1989. As we can observe women ONLY hold 11.2% of management positions.

Another important milestone during liberation was reproductive rights.

Abortion for the most part was not illegal but after the civil war many state legislatures illegalized it. Margaret Sanger was the first woman to introduced birth control, she opened up a small clinic but it was quickly shut down. She saw the economic hardship, hunger, and physical strain of repeated child birth. Women like her believed that they deserved to have control over their own bodies. The only way a woman could have an abortion was if her life was in danger. Roe vs. Wade made abortions legal for women. Justice Harry Blackmun wrote “…right of privacy is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy.” Thanks to this, women now have the ability to decide whether or not they wish to give birth.