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First women's rights convention is held. Men and women sign the Declaration of Sentiments, which listed and explored the grievances faced by women, as well as the agenda of what needed to be accomplished.
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The first Women's RIghts Convention attracts more than 1000 participants to Massachusettes, and conventions are held yearly until 1860.
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Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the NWSA, which primarily focusses on suffrage.
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The Knights of Labor was the first labor union to be inclusive of protecting the rights of women employees, as well as blacks.
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Wyoming allows women the right to vote, and within a year, women are serving on juries in the territory.
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The settlement house, located near Chicago, was opened by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. It assited working class families, especially immigrants, in programs such as evening classes and daycare.
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The National Women Suffrage Association was formed.
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NACW brings together more than 100 women's clubs around the world. Leaders included Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin and Mary Church Terrell
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NWTUL creates better working conditions for women and higher wages.
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Alice Paul and Lucy Burns founded the National Women's Party which was more radical than NWSA. The party pushed for a constitutional amendment to be added to allow all women to vote.
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Many women worked to enact the 18th Amendment, and supported abstaining from alcohol, due to the fact that it ruined family units and caused disruptions in marriages. They used the stereotype that all women were to be homewreckers in their favor, and effectively banned alcohol for several years.
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After years of protesting, the ninteenth amendment is finally ratified, which guaranteed all women the right to vote.
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Starting in 1923, the Lucretia Mott Amendment was proposed by Alice Paul in every session of Congress. It stated, "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." (1923-1942, specific dates unknown)
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In Wyoming, Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first female governor. She held office from January 5, 1925 to January 3, 1927.
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The first women's world fair was held in Chicago from April 18-25, 1925. It featured 280 booths and attracted over 160,000 visitors.
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Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman on the U.S. Senate in 1931 and remained in office until 1945.
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In 1931, Jane Addams became the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor and with Hull House in Chicago.
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In 1933, Frances Perkins became the first female U.S. cabinet member. She served in office as Secretary of Labor until June 30, 1945.
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Women's Army Corps was created, also called WAAC (Women's Army Auxilary Corps). Women were now officially allowed to work non-combat positions in the military. Women would now receive more equal pay and benefits to men in the military.
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The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943.
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During the 1950s, the rights of women and the respect that they were given from society drastically dropped. Many women were marrying young, during college years, and giving birth to children. Large families (of 3+ kids) were common, and it was seen as the women's role to stay at home and provide a stable home life for her husband and children. Many women did not work outside of the home, and were left feeling a lack of purpose.
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The Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Freidan, explored the depression that women faced as their roles became limited to the households during the 50s.
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JFK signed the EPA into law as part of his New Frontier program, and it mandated that men and women be paid equal for equal work.
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This court case wound up gaining women the right to abortion. Previously, abortions were illegal, and therefore women did not have sexual freedom, control over their own bodies, or the opportunity to terminate pregnancies safely.
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The ERA was a proposed amendment that would guarantee equal rights regardless of sex. However, due to fears of women being drafted, and of housewives not being to collect the benefits of their husbands once they were widowed, the law did not pass.
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Ronald Reagan appoints Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court as the first female justice.