Liberty and Happiness in the Twentieth Century

Liberty and Happiness in the Twentieth Century

Liberty and Happiness in the Twentieth Century

In today’s world the thought of a woman being equal to a man is probably going to receive a better response than it would have had maybe 10 to 50 years ago. Since the late 1700’s, women were known have little to no rights. Propose of the women was to be there for the man as housewives, mother of the children; obedient and loyal. Women were more as property rather than a partner in the relationship. It wasn’t until strong willed women started to stand up for themselves and for the rights of women that the role of the woman had started to change.

According to the National Women’s History Project Timeline, (1997-2002) in 1769 women “once married were considered one person in the law A man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material possessions” (Compton's 1994, 1995). In 1770 all women lost their right to vote regardless of their marital status. Led by the abolitionist Lucretia Mott and the feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848 to Seneca Falls, NY a group of activists started to demand equal rights, including the right to vote and an end to the double standard. Even though the women’s movement started and was on its way, women were still considered property and if they were to become divorced from the husband, the man would get the property and the children. It wasn’t until the 1900’s when women were granted some right to own property and able to work.

Even though there was work for women to do, the jobs were usually in clothing facility where the conditions were less then or not even close to standard. In 1910 legislation was passed to provide better working conditions for women. In 1920 Legislation was passed to give women the right to vote.

During World War II women went to work providing the military weaponry needed. The work that was done by the women was originally done by men but at a higher wage. After...