Changing Roles for Women From gaining the right to vote to added personal freedoms, women during the 1920s experienced a life not even thought of by women before them.

19th Amendment The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920, providing women the right to vote. The battle for this right had begun generations before, but the women of the 20s were ready for the new freedoms and responsibilities that would come with the guaranteed right. Many women also felt that having the right to vote would allow them more influence in bringing about change as they had worked for through the Progressive Era.

Changing Roles As women’s rights changed, so did their freedoms. The new, young woman of the 1920s cut her hair short, wore short, fringed skirts, smoked, cursed and drank in public, and enjoyed having car dates without a chaperone. The new “FLAPPERS” went to the dance clubs and celebrated their new independence in the Roaring 20s.

Women in the Workforce Women had historically been a key part of Industrial America, but in the 1920s, their role in the workforce changed as new jobs arose. High School educated omen were recruited in to be secretaries, switchboard operators, or office clerks. These new jobs allowed women to work in safer, more stable environments, but they were still limited in their opportunities for advancement or equality. Some women broke the barriers and became doctors, lawyers, and politicians, but those were few and far between.

Young Women While women were still expected to marry and raise a family, some broke societal norms and pushed limits. Dance clubs were popular among those in larger cities, and car dates provided a new taste of freedom for those across the country as the automobile became an average man’s possession.