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Andrew Lucas

English 115

Professor Rodrick

7 December 2018

United States’ History Molded Women

This point in time it can be either very difficult or very easy to be yourself and express

your personality; however, the people that tend to be leaders and are proud of themselves

succeed greatly in life and make major impacts on others. One group of people that have made

immense strides to better themselves and earn respect in our country would definitely be women;

in addition, they now have so many resources and opportunities to express themselves.. Today in

the United States, women have a huge impact on society, whether it be in business, politics, or in

the military which shows that our society has shaped them to be strong and independent.

Throughout time and many cultures, women are thought to be the weaker of the two

sexes, and have not had the same rights as men. In most of America’s past women were not

thought highly of, as they tended to be stay at home moms that raised the children and held

domestic duties. Unfortunately when women decided they needed to be treated more fairly they

were not taken serious. Women were even eager to get a job and help support with their own

income. Coincidentally enough men needed their wives to get jobs to support their families. It

was not until the “... late 19th century [when] many families could not afford [stay at home

moms]…” and made it necessary for women to acquire jobs (Weebly). Some women were

fortunate enough to even get hired, but the majority struggled to get employed. During this time

women grew restless and became “radical” demanding equal rights for women. They were not
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coming out in massive amounts; in fact, these newcomers were the first feminists which

consisted of few women. The process was slow, “... such as making small discussion groups that

would eventually lead into larger groups which eventually lead into conventions. In both

movements, actions towards creating an equal nation had to start off with the small things like

conventions [and] speeches…” (Weebly). So, just how have women developed since they began

to first start working in the 19 century? Well, women have had a huge impact in every war, but

first started with the Civil War. Over “... 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought in

the Union and Confederate armies… and thousands of women in the North and South joined

volunteer brigades and signed up to work as nurses” (History). It was unheard of to hear that

women risked their lives for men, went on some undercover missions rescuing slaves, and (silly

as it may seem) they got themselves dirty. The courage these women had to partake in the Civil

War created a precedent for future women to go above other people’s expectations.

Following the Civil War women made a huge jump in capturing their rights and suffrage

by obtaining knowledge through schooling, teaching themselves, and through the women’s rights

movements. During this time in society women really started to get tough and evolve. One may

argue that this could be a result of women’s participation the World Wars. Women began to stick

together to demand their right to vote, gain more political power, and create an economic system

that applied to them. An online article by Robert Wilde, contributor to ThoughtCo., solidifies

that “... the Women’s Social and Political Union held its only demonstration, demanding that

women be given a "right to serve" (Thought). This supports that women were fighting to make a

difference and earn respect in their country. During the World Wars, women were needed in

factories to help make weapons and other military equipment, roughly 90,000 women served in
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WWI and over 140,000 in WWII (Army). Following the World Wars, women began to illustrate

their equality and strength relative to men.

In the 20th century we can see how women were valued with more respect, as they

obtained their right to vote in 1920 and began to fill jobs that were originally only for men.

“Rebecca Latimer Felton became the first woman US senator in 1922, and in 1981 Sandra Day

O'Connor became the first woman judge on the US Supreme Court. In 1963 in the USA an Equal

Pay Act compelled employers to pay men and women the same amount for doing the same job”

(Local). These events led to surge in female participation in politics and women also began to

start businesses and develop new products; however, this did not mean that women didn’t have

obstacles or had issues along the way. Men still had a strong dictation in their life. Almost all

men owned businesses and companies, so employers would look over women and discriminate

against them. Business in America is very, in simple terms, tough. There is a ton of competition,

so there was still a stereotype among these women that they couldn’t do jobs as well as men. As

time went on, women persevered, and got tough leading in an increase of female business

owners and leadership roles through the country. Today, Kylie Jenner “owns 100% of her

company, [and] has sold more than $630 million worth of makeup since its founding in February

2016” (Forbes). Throughout history women have made their mark and earned their due respect

of equality. The feminist movement has not gone away; in fact, feminism is trending due to

opinions on abortion and equal pay. Even though some women feel they are oppressed in today’s

society, this country has made major leaps in giving women equal rights and protections under

the law. The society in the United States gave women a pedestal, as our country is based on

freedom and the pursuit of happiness, it gave these women all of the necessary tools and freedom

to live as they wished.

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Today in the United States, women have more power than ever. Many women are

business owners, women are highly respected doctors, teachers, and even many have served in

the military. Our society has provided women with so many opportunities and expects only

greatness out of them. Some would argue that women should still be the stay at home moms and

not work, but that is not what the majority of people believe. This is an ancient idea and we have

accepted the fact that they will are leading our country and making huge decisions that impact us

every day. What has society placed on the generality of women? You asked for equality and

equal respect, so show everyone why you deserve that respect and let us see what you’re made

of.
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Works Cited

“Before the Women's Rights Movement.” Women's Suffrage Movement vs. Women's Rights

Movement in the 1800s,

thedevelopmentofwomensrights.weebly.com/before-the-womens-rights-movement.html.

Date accessed 7 December 2018.

“How Women Helped Win the Great War.” Www.army.mil, Army, 10 Nov. 2008,

www.army.mil/article/14061/how_women_helped_win_the_great_war. Date accessed 7

December 2018.

“Kylie Jenner.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine,

www.forbes.com/profile/kylie-jenner/#7151db8055b5. Date accessed 7 December 2018.

Lambert, Tim. Women in the 20th Century, 2018, www.localhistories.org/women20th.html.

“Women In the Civil War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 Feb. 2010,

www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/women-in-the-civil-war. Date accessed 7

December 2018.

Wilde, Robert. “How World War I Changed Women's Lives.” ThoughtCo,

www.thoughtco.com/women-in-world-war-1-1222109. Date accessed 7 December 2018.

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