Transcript Slide 1

Jill Dawson and Aubrey Garrison
Colchester Middle School
Essential Questions
How did woman’s quest
for new roles and rights
for her gender evolve
from colonial times
through the 20th Century?
How do media portrayals
of women help us better
understand evolving
attitudes about women’s
roles in society?
Enduring
Understanding
• Media portrayals of
women throughout the
20th Century tell a tale
of shifting attitudes
about women’s roles
in society and the
extent to which women
have achieved legal
and social equality in
the United States.
Key Ideas
• Throughout the 20th
Century, the role of women
in society changed as the
needs of the nation
changed.
• Stereotypical images of
women, from different eras,
provide insight into the
social norms of the times
and challenges to those
norms.
Key Ideas
• Key heroines from each
era in the 20th Century
helped move the fight for
women’s legal and social
equality forward.
Key Ideas
• Media helps shape and
influence the experiences,
issues, social norms, legal
rights, and attitudes of and
about women in society.
Overview
• Before we get to the 20th Century, you will
be getting a brief overview of the women’s
rights movement from colonial times until
the end of the 19th Century.
1776
Abigail Adams is often
referred to as the first
influential woman to advocate
for the rights of women.
She urged her husband, John
Adams, to “remember the
ladies” as he worked with the
Continental Congress to write
the Declaration of
Independence and to help
draft the new country’s laws.
1776
•American colonies had
based their laws on the
English common law that
stated:
“By marriage, the husband
and wife are one person in
the law. The very being
and legal existence of the
woman is suspended
during the marriage, or at
least is incorporated into
that of her husband under
whose wing and protection
she performs everything.”
Mill Girls: Early 1800s
• In the years following the American
Revolution, young, single women who
worked in New England textile mills
helped to blaze a trail for women’s rights.
• The female mill workers of Lowell helped
introduce to women the concept of
unifying together as a group to take
political action, after they famously went
on strike in 1836.
July 19-20, 1848
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (top) and
Lucretia Mott (bottom) were both
active in the anti-slavery
movement.
They co-organized the first
women’s rights convention in
American history, which was held
in Seneca Falls, New York.
Today, Seneca Falls is considered
the birthplace of the movement for
women’s equality.
Declaration of Sentiments
1848
“We hold these truths to be
self-evident: that all men and
women are created equal;
that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain
inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness…”
Dress Reform:
Early 1850s
• Amelia Bloomer
popularized the bloomer
costume.
• Attempts at clothing reform
were met with hostility and
attracted negative attention
in the media.
• Bloomers fell out of fashion
within three years.
Ain’t I a Woman?
In 1851,
SojournerTruth,
a freed slave, dazzled
a crowd with her
extemporaneous
speech, “Ain’t I
Woman?” in which
she brought attention
to the plight of African
American women.
Dynamic Duo
• Susan B. Anthony and
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton worked as a
team on behalf of
women’s suffrage ―
the right to vote.
1858 Women’s Rights Convention
Note: By 1858, women are back in their more
formal, uncomfortable clothing.
Civil War (1861-1865)
• With the outbreak of
the Civil War in 1861,
women’s efforts on
behalf of equal rights
for themselves came
to a virtual standstill.
Civil War (1861-1865)
Women were needed to fill many jobs during the
war:
–
–
–
–
–
serving as nurses in their homes and in hospitals
providing medicine, bandages, and food
collecting and distributing food and clothing
raising money for supplies
working with hazardous chemicals in plants that made
weapons
– working in textile mills
– spying
Thirteenth Amendment
1865
• The 13th Amendment officially ended
slavery. It states:
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,
except as a punishment for crime whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within the United States, or any
place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Fourteenth Amendment
1868
• The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to all
persons born or naturalized in the United States
and gives federal protection to individual rights.
It states:
“No state shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of
citizens of the United States; nor shall any state
deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal protection
of the laws.”
The Age of Brass (1869)
The Age of Iron (1869)
Fifteenth Amendment
1870
• The 15th Amendment grants all citizens the
right to vote. It states:
“The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on account
of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.”
Susan B. Anthony
1872
• In 1872, Susan B. Anthony
was arrested after she
challenged the 14th
Amendment by voting
illegally.
What’s the Message
of this Image?
Susan B. Anthony
Dollar
• Susan B. Anthony is the
first woman to be pictured
on a U.S. coin in general
circulation.
• Dollar coins minted in 1979
and 1980 display her
profile.
• “Failure is impossible.”
Susan B. Anthony
1892
“The consent of the
governed woman is as
necessary to a just
government as is the
consent of the
governed man.”
Lucy Stone
November 8, 1892
Election Day
1895: The New Woman
“I fear you think
the New Woman
is going to wipe
you off the
planet, but be
not afraid. All
who have
mothers, sisters,
wives, or
sweethearts will
be very well
looked after.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
1895
Compare and Contrast
Now that you
have some
background
information, the
rest of this
presentation will
explore images of
women through
each of the
decades of the
20th Century!
1900-1910
• By the time the 20th Century started in
1900, many women had been working
toward equality for most of their lives.
• By 1900, every state had passed laws
granting married women some control of
their property and earnings, but they still
could not vote or serve on juries!
The New Woman: Wash Day 1901
New Woman: Wash Day
Give Baby Her Bottle at 6 O’clock
I’m Going Shopping, Dear. Have
Dinner Started When I Return.
“The Weaker Sex” 1903
Who is depicted as being the weaker sex in this
image?
“Election Day” 1909
Is EQUALITY
depicted here?
Why not?
What is the fear
portrayed by
this image?
Imprisoned Suffragette 1909
This image depicts
force feeding of a
prisoner who’d gone
on a hunger strike in
England.
This strategy, the
hunger strike, was
later adopted by
suffragists in America.
“The Time of Her Life” 1909
Why might
the woman
in the
image be
depicted as
being so
much
larger than
the men?
Man and Woman 1910
As they
WERE.
As they
ARE.
As they
WILL BE.
On to the next
decade!
1910-1920
1910-1920
• This was a very dynamic decade!
• By 1913, the women’s suffrage movement
had been steadily building its case, state
by state, for a Constitutional amendment
that granted women the right to vote!
• The U.S. entered World War in 1917, and
women were once again asked to pitch in.
Two Strategies
Whose words are written on the banner?
Carrie Chapman Catt
wanted to take a state by
state approach.
Alice Paul (Right) was in favor of
advocating for Constitutional
amendment.
“The March to Washington” 1913
This parade drew
attention away from
Woodrow Wilson’s
inauguration.
One group of women
hiked 230 miles in 17
days to attend.
Note the Similarities?
1851
1913
“Liberty” 1913
Why is
“Liberty”
portrayed as a
woman?
“The Greatest Mother in the World”
World War I Poster (1915)
For what roles
are women
being recruited
to fill, based
upon this
image?
(Listen to “The Rose of No-Man’s Land”)
What is this large
woman holding?
What qualities
might the
“greatest mother
in the world”
possess?
“The Anti and the SnowballThen and Now” 1916
What does the
snowball
represent?
First Woman Elected to House of
Representatives (1916)
Jeanette Rankin
became the first
female member of
Congress in 1916,
although she could
not vote!
Women Picket the White House
1917
• Under the leadership of Alice Paul, women
picketed outside of the White House.
• After the protesting and picketing had gone on
for several months, police began making arrests.
• Many women who were imprisoned endured
harsh treatment, including Alice Paul.
Picketing Outside the White House:
1917
1917
This woman (Helena
Hill Weed) was sent to
prison for carrying a
banner that read:
“Governments Derive
their Just Powers from
the Consent of the
Governed.”
1917
• Lucy Burns spent
more time in prison
than any other
suffragist. This photo
was taken at
Occoquan
Workhouse, VA.
Gee!! I Wish I Were A Man!
1918
If she WERE a
man, what
would she be
encouraged by
this
advertisement
to do?
Who IS the
audience for
this
advertisement?
Alice Paul 1915 and 1920
Imprisoned for protesting
Toasting the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment
1920
• The 19th Amendment granted women the
right to vote. It states:
“The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on account
of sex.”
“Congratulations” 1920
Who is congratulating the woman on the left?
“The Sky is Now Her Limit” 1920
What is the goal depicted at the top of the ladder?
On to the next
decade!
1920-1930
1920-1930
• The 1920s era was a time of wealth in the United States.
• After World War I ended and women gained the right to vote,
women’s desire to have fun was reflected in the flapper image, the
opposite of the studious, serious, often single women that had
fought for suffrage.
• In 1920, when women went to the polls across the nation for the first
time, they made up an estimated one-third of voters, but many
women dropped out of the politics altogether in the late twenties.
• The Roaring Twenties ended with the start of the Great Depression
Flappers 1920s
How did women’s fashion change
once they’d earned the right to
vote?
How do these two images compare?
Equal Rights Amendment
• After the passage of the Nineteenth
Amendment in 1920, Alice Paul devoted
her energies toward achieving legal
equality for women. She drafted the Equal
Rights Amendment and submitted it to
Congress in 1923.
The complete text reads:
Alice Paul’s 1923 Equal Rights
Amendment
• “Men and women shall have equal
rights throughout the United States and
in every place subject to its
jurisdiction. Congress shall have
power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.”
Do you agree with this
statement? Why or why not?
On to the next
decade!
1930-1940
1930-1940
• The Great Depression lasted from 1929 until
1941.
• 1932- The National Recovery Act forbids
more than one family member from holding a
government job, resulting in many women
losing their jobs.
• Women with experience as social reformers
began to take on key roles.
The Great Depression
1930s
Amelia Earhart
A poor, migrant mother
Eleanor Roosevelt: 1939
Eleanor
Roosevelt,
pictured here
with Marion
Anderson, was
a first lady and
humanitarian
who worked to
help people
who lacked
power.
On to the next
decade!
1940-1950
1940-1950
• America was plunged into war in 1941, after
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
• World War II ended the Great Depression as
factories began producing for the war.
• Six million American women joined the labor
force during the war.
• When the men came back, the women were
asked to return to their homes.
Recruiting Women for World War II
“The WAC who shares your army life
will make a better post-war wife.”
Rosie the Riveter (1940s)
First Female Baseball Team
1943
Formed during World
War II when almost
half of the nation's
major leaguers entered
Military service, the
All-American Girls
Professional Baseball
League was an instant
success and drew
176,000 rapid fans
during the first season.
Wonder Woman: 1947
What is
the tone
of this
image?
What
does the
box in
the righthand
corner
imply?
Wonder Woman: 1947
Wonder Woman Celebrates
Carrie Chapman Catt
Why might Carrie Chapman
Catt have been considered a
heroine in the 1940s?
Revised Equal Rights
Amendment
• The wording to the Equal Rights
amendments was revised slightly in 1944:
The revised text reads:
Revised Equal Rights
Amendment
• Section I: Equality of rights under the law shall
not be denied or abridged by the United States
or by any State on account of sex.
• Section II: The Congress shall have the power to
enforce, by appropriate legislation, the
provisions of this article.
• Section III: This amendment shall take effect
two years after the date of ratification.
Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
On to the next
decade!
1950-1960
1950-1960
• Between 1950 and 1960, women earned
just over half of what men earned,
approximately 65 cents to a man’s dollar.
• Events of the 1950s, such as the
Montgomery Bus Boycott, set the stage for
the civil rights movement.
Back into the Kitchen!
The Good Wife’s Guide
50s Celebrities
What two stereotypes are depicted here?
Rosa Parks
On to the next
decade!
1960-1970
1960-1970
• By 1960, women’s earnings went down from 65 percent
of what men earned to 60 percent.
• John F. Kennedy and his fashionable young wife brought
hope to the nation.
• After his assassination, the nation changed dramatically;
women took advantage of the revolutionary climate
created by the civil rights movement to fight for their own
civil rights.
• The Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movements, and antiwar
demonstrations were in full swing.
(1960-1963)
The Mercury 13
1962
A group of women
known as the
Mercury 13 trained
to become the
first American
female astronauts.
Vice President
Johnson was not in
favor.
Equal Pay Act
1963
• The Equal Pay Act was passed by
Congress, promising equitable wages for
the same work, regardless of the race,
color, religion, national origin, or sex of the
worker.
(1964-1969)
Freedom Trash
Can
Civil Rights Act
1964
• The Civil Rights Act addressed many civil
rights issues
– Title VII of the Civil Rights Act includes a
prohibition against employment discrimination
on the basis of race, color, religion, natural
origin, or sex.
On to the next
decade!
1970-1980
1970-1980
● Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women in 1970 were paid
about 45 percent less than men for the same jobs.
The United States Supreme Court found sexually discriminatory
laws to be illegal for the first time in the early 1970s. Before that
time, discrimination against women was not only legal but also
considered reasonable by many people.
1971- The U.S. Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private
employers refusing to hire women with pre-school children.
1972- Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits sex
discrimination in all aspects of education programs that receive
federal support.
Bella Abzug 1970
National Women’s Political Caucus
1970s
Where have you seen this image before?
How does this Wonder Woman look
compared to the 1940’s version?
Equal Rights Amendment
• After years of debate, the Equal Rights
Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972
and then sent to the states for ratification.
• Congress required that the ERA be ratified
within seven years.
• It failed to meet the March 22, 1979 deadline.
• Congress voted to extend it until June 30, 1982
On to the next
decade!
1980-1990
1980-1990
• In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issues a
Presidential Proclamation declaring the week
of March 8th as the first National Women’s
History Week, which in 1987 becomes
National Women’s History Month.
• Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women in
1988 still earn about 32 percent less than
men for doing the same jobs.
Justice at Last- 1981
Equal Rights Amendment
• By 1982, only 35 of
the 38 states had
ratified the
amendment and it
failed.
Shoulder Pads and Astronauts
Oprah wearing shoulder pads
Sally Ride: First female astronaut in
space
First Vice Presidential Candidate
1984
On to the next
decade!
1990-2000
1990-2000
• Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963,
women in 2000 earned about 73 cents
to a man's dollar.
1992: Year of the Woman
• “Tripling our representation in the Senate
is no triumph when the female faces go
from two to six.”
• “It will not be the year of the woman until
we have half of the House and half of the
Senate and a president once in a while.”
Gloria Steinum
New Roles for Women
• Janet Reno became the first U.S. Attorney
General in 1993.
• Madeline Albright became the first female
U.S. Secretary of State.
– Highest Woman Ever in U.S. Government
TODAY!
1940s
2009
Special Thanks to the Following
Berg, Linda S. “Go Ahead, Arrest Me!” Cobblestone. March 2009: 11-12.
Harvey, Sheridan, et. al. (Eds.). American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women’s History and Culture in the
United States. Washington: Library of Congress, 2001.
Kempler, Susan, and Doreen Rappaport (Producers). (1971). But the Women Rose, Vol.1: Voices of Women in American History (CD
recording (2009)/MP3 recording). United States: Folkways Records / Smithsonian Folkways.
Kitch, Carolyn. The Girl on the Magazine Cover: The Origins of Visual Stereotypes in American Mass Media. Chapel Hill: The
University of North Carolina Press, 2001.
Rossi, Ann. Created Equal: Women Campaign for the Right to Vote, 18401920. Crossroads America. Crossroads America Series. Washington,
D.C.: National Geographic, 2005.
Sugarman, Dorothy A. Women’s Suffrage: Building Fluency through Reader’s
Theater. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, 2009.
Sullivan, George. The Day the Women Got the Vote: A Photo History of the Women’s Rights Movement. New York: Scholastic,
1994.
“Women’s History Collections” American Memory Website at the Library of
Congress. 20 Feb. 2010. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=Women's%20History
“Women’s Suffrage: Primary Source Set” Library of Congress. 20 Mar. 2010.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/womens-suffrage/