Women's political role in the United States in the 1920's

Résumé du document

72 years were necessary for women to enter the political world, the greatest men's sphere. To understand why it took so many years for women to get the right to vote, it appears necessary to deal with the origins of the movement and to analyze the consequences of some important historical events that urged women to go on fighting for equality, but in some cases also contribute in the slowing down of the feminist movement. It is also important to emphasize women's achievements after they eventually got the right to vote. The Women's movement did not stop after they got started. Otherwise, in the American melting-pot, mixing many races, we can wonder if The Women's Movement was at the time as united as it was generally depicted. It will be interesting to study the women's struggle without differentiating the White, Black, Immigrant, Native American or Jewish women. The 1848 Declaration of Sentiments began by, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal...". This sentence could have been the slogan of The Women's Movement, it was undoubtedly their goal: a perfect equality between men and women regardless of their race or social status. But was it actually the case? Were women able to forget their differences and work together to improve their lives?

Extraits

[...] Many activists did not approve the ERA which they considered too restrictive. Indeed the ERA only dealt with legal matters and did not take into account social or racial issues. Black women were not in favor of this amendment since they were convinced that it had been made by White women for White women so it could not improve their own lives. Florence Kelley, a social activist, even considered the ERA as dangerous especially in the working sphere. For her and many women of the League of Women Voters the ERA would destroy protective labor laws[40]. [...]

[...] Both women and Blacks' were fighting for freedom and equality even though women fought more for a spiritual freedom than for a physical one. Many women considered themselves as men's slaves, sort of submitted creatures dominated by the stronger sex that is why they believed that Blacks' and women's struggles had common points. Both communities were discriminated and considered inferior. They both received different treatments because of their sex for women and race for Black people. It was not unusual to see women involved in the two struggles, fighting for their emancipation and for Blacks' freedom. [...]

[...] All groups and organizations despite their difference united their actions and put the vote at the heart of their campaigns. There was a sort of coalition between all women's organizations which led to their victory. After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, women's movement ran out of steam, it was the end of the great union around the vote. The divisions, which had disappeared for a short time, came to light again and each organization kept on fighting but alone. [...]

[...] Women had a double role: inside and outside the home. For example, there was an increase of the demand for women teachers during this war[9]. Women believed they would keep on participating in the economic world after the war but men were strongly opposed to this situation. Therefore, the results of this phenomenon were limited and were only true during the war. There was still a lot to do for women to reach a complete emancipation Far away from the domestic sphere In the 19th century and even before all domestic matters were reserved to women. [...]

[...] These immigrants were part of the second immigrant wave that saw twenty million people coming in the United States between 1870 and 1920. They came from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe or Japan to find good jobs and better treatments than in their countries. Most of them had come during World War I thinking that it would be easier for them to find a job. Since they felt segregated in the American society few of them tried to get involved in politics. [...]