Women in Public LifeWomen in Public Life

Chapter 17Chapter 17

Section 2Section 2

Terms and NamesTerms and Names

Maria MitchellMaria Mitchell

NACWNACW

suffragesuffrage

Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony

NAWSANAWSA

Women in the Work ForceWomen in the Work Force

FarmwomenFarmwomen

Domestic WorkersDomestic Workers

Women in IndustryWomen in Industry

FarmwomenFarmwomen

Farms in the Farms in the South and MidwestSouth and Midwest – Women & children were a critical part of the Women & children were a critical part of the

economic structureeconomic structure of the family of the family– Besides cooking, cleaning and sewing, Besides cooking, cleaning and sewing, women women

also took their husbands’ place in the field if also took their husbands’ place in the field if they were ill or absentthey were ill or absent

Domestic WorkersDomestic Workers

Women Women without formal education or without formal education or industrial skillsindustrial skills

Poverty drove 2 million Poverty drove 2 million freed slavesfreed slaves into the into the work forcework force– 46% worked as domestic servants - 46% worked as domestic servants -

laundresses, cooks, scrubwomen, maidslaundresses, cooks, scrubwomen, maids Unmarried immigrant womenUnmarried immigrant women By 1870, 70% of working women worked By 1870, 70% of working women worked

as servantsas servants

Women in IndustryWomen in Industry 25% of American women held jobs in 25% of American women held jobs in

manufacturingmanufacturing Spent Spent up to 12 hours per dayup to 12 hours per day sewing, sewing,

folding, packing or bottlingfolding, packing or bottling In tobacco factories 40% of the workers In tobacco factories 40% of the workers

were womenwere women Half of all women industrial workers Half of all women industrial workers

worked in the garment tradeworked in the garment trade Women Women worked the equal hours for ½ worked the equal hours for ½

the paythe pay

As business opportunities expanded, As business opportunities expanded, women began to fill new jobswomen began to fill new jobs::– OfficesOffices– StoresStores– ClassroomsClassrooms

Educated, native born and middle class Educated, native born and middle class women got white collar jobs:women got white collar jobs:– StenographersStenographers– Typists Typists – BookkeepersBookkeepers– Teachers Teachers

Women in Higher EducationWomen in Higher Education Women’s colleges sought to grant Women’s colleges sought to grant

women an excellent educationwomen an excellent education– Vassar College (1865)Vassar College (1865)– Smith & Wellesley Colleges (1875)Smith & Wellesley Colleges (1875)– Barnard College (1889)Barnard College (1889)– Randolph – Macon Women’s College (1891)Randolph – Macon Women’s College (1891)– Pembroke College (1891)Pembroke College (1891)– Radcliffe (1894)Radcliffe (1894)

However women were still expected to However women were still expected to fill traditional rolesfill traditional roles

Women and ReformWomen and Reform

Educated womenEducated women strengthened reform strengthened reform groups and provided leadership for new groups and provided leadership for new groupsgroups

Worked to improve conditions at work Worked to improve conditions at work and homeand home

““Social Housekeeping”Social Housekeeping”– Targeted Targeted unsafe factories, labor abusesunsafe factories, labor abuses– PromotedPromoted housing reform, educational housing reform, educational

improvement & food and drug lawsimprovement & food and drug laws

The NACW - 1896The NACW - 1896

African – American women founded the African – American women founded the National Association of Colored WomenNational Association of Colored Women – Managed nurseries, reading rooms and Managed nurseries, reading rooms and

kindergartenskindergartens

Josephine RuffinJosephine Ruffin– Identified the mission of the NACW as “the Identified the mission of the NACW as “the

moral education of the race with which we are moral education of the race with which we are identified”identified”

The Fight for the VoteThe Fight for the Vote

Suffrage, women’s right to voteSuffrage, women’s right to vote had been had been the focus of women reformers since 1848.the focus of women reformers since 1848.

The The 1414thth & 15 & 15thth Amendments Amendments – Passed during Reconstruction Passed during Reconstruction – Granted the right to vote to African Granted the right to vote to African

American menAmerican men– Excluded the women’s right to voteExcluded the women’s right to vote..

National American Woman National American Woman Suffrage AssociationSuffrage Association

NAWSANAWSA Prominent leadersProminent leaders

– Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony– Elizabeth Cady StantonElizabeth Cady Stanton– Lucy StoneLucy Stone– Julia Ward HoweJulia Ward Howe

A Three Part Strategy for SuffrageA Three Part Strategy for SuffragePart OnePart One Part TwoPart Two Part ThreePart Three

ActionsActions Convince Convince legislatorslegislators

Pursued Pursued court court casescases

(women are (women are citizens, too!)citizens, too!)

Pushed for an Pushed for an AmendmentAmendment

ResultsResults 1869 1869 WyomingWyoming

1890s1890s

Utah, Utah, Colorado, Colorado, and Idahoand Idaho

Courts Courts agreed that agreed that women are women are

citizens, citizens, but they but they

can’t votecan’t vote

Senators Senators rejected it rejected it

for the next for the next 18 years18 years