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Anne Hutchinson and the Massachusetts Bay Colon
Anne Hutchinson disagreed with the Puritan beliefs and believed that God did not solely speak only to the elder but to everyone. The Massachusetts Bay Colony saw here as a threat and claimed that she committed heresy and banished her. She then started a new colony called New Hampshire. Showed her independence by going against a great majority of her leaders and people that tried to influence her, her whole life. -
Salem Witch Trials
This event involved mass hysteria and in result many innocent people, mainly women, who were hung for being convicted as witches. Afterwards, the people involved admitted that they had made a terrible mistake. The process of blaming other people without proof would have been exactly like the Red Scares, later to come. -
Englightenment
This era was a time of western philosophy and was tempered by the need of major reforms. Movement that advocated the use of reason and rationality to establish a system of ethics and knowledge. This time led people to question traditional institutions, customs, and morals, including women. Got people to think more independently and was the framework for the rise of capitalism. But, most men disliked the idea of women being equal to them. -
First Great Awakening
Was a more religious movement concerning the mass attendance. This basically fired up the homilies in mass/church and got more people back into the faith as a result of the enlightenment. This was the very beginning, besides the enlightenment, of women thinking for themselves and taking more important roles in society. -
Daughters of Liberty
Like the Sons of Liberty, but less radical, this group was formed during the American Revolution era, after the unfair acts of the British, like the Townshend Acts of 1767. Along with patriots and the sons of liberty they pursued to support American resistance and even helped end the Stamp Act, protesting their treatment from the British. Make the decision to start to boycott British products. Started the idea of production of our own clothing. This is how women gained a public voice. -
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams, being the wife of a very important man, sent a letter regarding the women during the American Revolution era to John Adams. This letter was a small step towards the fight for women's' rights. Her famous quote was "remember the ladies." -
Republican Motherhood
Essentially raised the standards of women for the most part, specifically mothers. Wanted to dismiss the public roles of women for voting rights, but to give them a bigger responsibility making sure that the next generation was raised up properly. By this, they would need a good education to teach the next generation. Taught the next generation much about the importance of education. -
Second Great Awakening
Like the First great awakening, this awakening called for more reforms such as prison reforms, temperance reforms, education reforms and reasoning against slavery. Caused a turning point in American history. This was more focused on the improvement of society. Women really got involved with new reforms and created a bigger voice for themselves. -
Waltham-Lowell System
Women starting from about the age of 15 to 35 were employed in Lowell Mills which provided dormitories, meals, where it would be even more efficient to return back to their cheap, unskilled labor job making clothing all under one roof. This system was less prominent after the great waves of immigrants from the mid-1800s which provided even cheaper labor and also wage cuts. These wage cuts caused women to stand for themselves and they protested working conditions and salaries. -
Cult of Domesticity and Separate Spheres
During the Antebellum period, this term was used to refer to the dominant role of women in the household. With this idea, women held great power in the house in regards to morals. This made the term separate spheres which was when the men were left with the responsibility of making income and women were left with specifically caring for the household. (Men- public, women- private) -
Grimke Sisters
Along with the reform movements, these sisters were involved with abolition and suffrage. All of these women reformers gained a greater role in society as they expressed their opinions. The two sisters wrote the "Letter on the Condition of Women and the Equality of the Sexes." (1837) This letter showed their opinions on how men disliked the idea of abolishing slavery. (Feminist standpoint) -
Horace Mann and Education Reform
Horace Mann wanted to make the "great equalizer" which was to make everyone have a good education that was paid for by taxes. Being the secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education(1837 created), he set the standard of all public schools. This however was disliked by the south because if slaves were educated then that would most likely lead to a revolt. Not only provided for whites but equal education for men and women and sometimes even African Americans. -
Dorothea Dix and the Prison/Insane Asylum Reforms
Dorothea noticed how the mentally ill were being treated as murders. So she made a change by separating the two. She first started to collect information from every jail she could find over the course of 8 years to prove her point. As she gathered more information, she also gathered more supporters including Horace Mann and Charles Sumner. Once she changed the system, she was put in charge of the as the Superintendent of Nurses for the Union Army during the Civil War. -
Feminism
This idea majorly provoked women to push for suffrage and equality with men. Began at the time when Seneca Falls Convention started. Many women took part in this movement. But there are now different meanings of feminism, mostly carrying a negative connotation today. -
SENECA FALLS CONVENTION- Elizabeth Cady Stanton= Declaration of Sentiments
This very important convention, was the first of its kind, and majorly helped the women's rights progression. Formed by Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott, this convention pushed for women's suffrage and was successful. The "declaration of sentiments," written by Elizabeth herself, listed the discriminations of women and 11 resolutions. The document was the "grand basis for attaining the civil, social, political, and religious rights of women." -
Susan B. Anthony and the National Woman Suffrage Association
Susan Anthony had a major role in the women's suffrage movement. Anthony helped found the National Women's Suffrage Association along with Lucy Stone, Carrie Catt and Elizabeth Stanton. Susan was a social reformer for suffrage, abolition, and temperance. She convinced congressional supporters to introduce a Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. This amendment, however, did not become the law until 14 years after her death. -
Married Women's Property Act
This act was one of the most progressive acts during the era of reform and movements towards women's rights. This act let women have more control over property for themselves. Showed that the early feminist movement was making significant progress in America. -
Lucy Stone and National Woman Suffrage Associaton
Another women's suffragist and also an abolitionist. Lucy was the first woman to receive a college degree and after she married Henry Blackwell, she decided to keep her maiden name. She took part in both Equal Rights Association and American Woman Suffrage Association. Their goal was to get on the side of Republicans to hopefully enlist Republican support for women's suffrage after Reconstruction issues had been settled. Through the AWSA the suffrage movement unified again. -
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
This group was a strong leading group in the temperance movement, or the idea of rejecting alcohol. They embraced women's purity as a way of rallying point. Later, this group expanded into the World Women's Christian Temperance Union which sent out missions into other parts of the world and taught about the importance of temperance. -
Frances Willard
Frances Willard was a women's suffragist, temperance reformer and an American educator. Willard became the national president of the World Woman's Christian Temperance Union, in 1879, and remained president for 19 years. Her influence was influential in passage the of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments. -
Social Settlement and Jane Addams Hull House- Ellen Gates Starr
This movement was to benefit new immigrants who needed a bed, food, and even taught how to get a job and some of the American customs/ways of living and working. (Gave them an education) Starting in Chicago by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, these houses became centers for reform in the women's and labor movements. Addams later became the president of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. -
National Association of Colored Women and Ida B. Wells
Founders of the NACW included Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Mary Church Terrell. Brought womens movements together focusing state by state and by the 1900's in 13 states women could vote. The NACW became involved in campaigns in favor of women's suffrage, against lynching and Jim Crow laws. Ida B. Wells, led the anti-lynching movement when she noticed her friends shop terrorized. Then started to boycott white establishments and was not scared by threats. -
Progressivsm
This movement was dominantly used by the middle class women who wanted to change the wrongs of society. Major reform movements happened that greatly effected education, prison system, equality of both African Americans and women, increase democracy in corporations and produced a number of laws, acts, and amendments. (1890-1920) -
Florence Kelley
A woman who worked at the Hull House, alongside Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr; successfully lobbied in 1893 for an Illinois anti sweatshop law that protected women workers and put an end to child labor; her whole life she battled for women's suffrage, children, African Americans, and consumers; later she moved to New York as the general secretary of the National Consumers League. -
Maternalism
This was the idea that women held special talents as moral guides. It involved both equality between man and woman and even domesticity. Materialism was a way that supporters of equality would justify their reasoning and formation. -
Marry Ellen Lease
Wichita lawyer and "fiery alliance orator" who prompted the formation of the National Women's Alliance who became well known during the early 1890's for her actions as a speaker for the populist party. Significant because she symbolized the parallel relationship between public purpose advancement and that of most other disadvantaged groups by denouncing the corrupt government and encouraged farmers to speak about their troubles with the economic situation. -
Carrie Chapman Catt
A great speaker/reformer from Iowa and spoke powerfully in favor of suffrage. She later became one of the leaders of the National American Woman Suffrage Association or NAWSA. Carrie formulated an effective battle plan for fighting the war of suffrage. She argued for the vote as a broadening of democracy which would empower women. Also Catt was an important figure in the passing of the 19th Amendment. -
Carrie A. Nation
"Kansas Cyclone"; 1st husband died of alcoholism and so she took a hatchet and destroyed saloons. She was an obvious, radical reformer towards the temperance movement. -
Women's Trade Union League
A U.S. organization of both working class and more wealthy women formed to eliminate bad working conditions and to support the efforts of women to organize labor unions. -
Harriot Stanton Blatch
Daughter of the famous Elizabeth Stanton, she continued her mothers work in the women's suffrage reform. She encouraged working women to become involved in peace efforts to stave off any new military conflicts. She participated in a lot of reform conventions such as the National American Women Suffrage Association and Equality League of Self-Supporting Women. -
Muller v. Oregon
In general, this court case defended women in factories and how since they are built a little differently than males, they should be more protected in those conditions. Luckily, Louis Brandeis persuaded the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of laws protecting women workers by presenting evidence of the harmful effects of factory labor on women's weaker bodies. In turn, it gave women less working hours to protect from further harm.(limit of 10 hours per day) -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
This traumatic event, causing the death of 146 garment workers drew much attention to the working conditions of factories. In the end result, the fire led to regulations requiring better safety standards and helped the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -
Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party
A militant feminist group led by Alice Paul that argued the 19th Amendment was not suitable enough to protect women's rights. They believed they needed a more effective amendment that would give legal protection for their rights and prohibit discrimination among women. So, Alice Paul led many women in mass pickets, parades, and hunger strikes to convince the government how much of a necessity woman's suffrage was. -
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
This group was the largest women's peace group in between WW1 and WW2 years that formed in Zurich, Germany. The organization was leaded by Jane Addams and Emily Greene Balch. Denounced peace terms that exacted economic penalties on Central Powers that would result in the spread of hatred and anarchy. This group was actually rather radical and called for an end to American economic imperialism. -
Margret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement
American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900's. As a nurse in the poor sections of NYC, where she had seen the problems caused by unplanned pregnancy. Founded the first birth control clinic in America and the American Birth Control League, which today is known as Planned Parenthood. -
19th Amendment
After the long process and struggle, Wilson rewarded women for their wartime services and supported the amendment, granting women the right to vote. -
Adkins vs. Children's Hospital
In this court case, the Supreme Court switched its own reasoning in Muller v. Oregon, on the grounds that women were now equals of men after the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920. -
WAC and WAVES
Around 215,000 women who held non combat positions in the navy, army, and even Coast Guard, during WWII when more "manpower" was needed and the men needed to be sent to fight. Women now participated in the forces in ways that went beyond their original roles as nurses. -
Rosie the Riveter
During the height of the war, American factories were in short supply of labor. Not only did this trigger the Great Migration but also the mass influx of women taking over the original male roles in factories to help the war effort. Rosie the Riveter in this case would have been like propaganda directed towards women, thanking them for their help and acknowledging their actions. This was a large symbol of women working in the factories. Transformation from house wife to respected worker. -
Equal Pay Act
Easy to know what this act is about by just seeing the name. Did not allow employers to discriminate any workers by their gender, everyone had to be paid the same or paid equally. -
Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" and National Women's Political Caucus
Betty is probably best known for starting the Second Wave of feminism through the writing of her book "The Feminine Mystique" - which describes the fact that women were being denied equality with men. The book becoming famous among women, became an inspiration for many women to join the movement. Betty even founded the National Organization for Women. The National Women's Political Caucus helped women to seek help or run for political office. Also Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm were members. -
National Organization for Women (NOW)- Women's Liberation movement
Founded by Betty Friedan, this group called for equal pay, equal job opportunities for women, and political representation. Also NOW championed the legalization of abortion and even passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution. -
Bella Abzug and Shirley Chishom
Chishom is known for being the first black congresswoman. Chisholm was the first major-party African-American candidate to run for the presidential nomination in 1972. In Congress she supported minority education and employment opportunities and opposed the U.S. military draft. While Bella was the first Jewish congresswoman. She went for the ERA, day care centers and other working mother benefits, and an end to sex discrimination. She, like Shirley, was Anti -Vietnam and Selective Service. -
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and Phyllis Schafly
This amendment was supposed to outlaw any discrimination based on gender, it was at first seen as a great victory by women's-rights groups or the women's activists. However it passed both houses of Congress in 1972, a concerted campaign by anti-feminists led by Phyllis Schlafly persuaded enough state legislatures to vote against ratification. Sadly, it missed by 3 states in order to become ratified. -
Sandra Day O'Conner
The first woman to be in the Supreme Court from the dry history of male judges, dating back around 200 years. Appointed by Ronald Reagan, O'Connor was an Associate Justice from 1981 until 2006.