1. United States History Unit 2, Chapter 6, Section 2
Women and Public Life
United States History
Unit 2, Chapter 6, Section 2

2. During the Progressive Era, Women actively pursued reforms for education, children’s welfare, temperance, and suffrage
Main idea

3. Opportunities for Women: higher education, employment
late 1880s women were finding more opportunities for education & employment
caused them to look outside the home to work for change and reform in society
Opportunities for Women: higher education, employment

4. Higher Education 1833: Oberlin College in Ohio-first to admit women
1870: 20% of all college students were women
1900: over 33%
Most were middle or upper class
The American Medical Association (AMA) still did not admit women until 1915
Higher Education

5. Employment opportunities
Expanded in late 1800s for educated middle class women
Teachers, nurses, bookkeepers, typists, secretaries, shop clerks, artists, journalists
Working class without an H.S. education worked in garment factories
These opportunities changed the way women viewed the world
Employment opportunities

6. Gaining political experience
Women worked to end child labor, improve children’s health, promote education
1912: Lillian Wald founded the Federal Children’s Bureau which tended to the well being of children
Gaining political experience

7. Movement which called for a ban on making, selling, and distributing alcoholic beverages
Major organizations: Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) headed by Frances Willard and the Anti-Saloon League supported by Billy Sunday and Carry Nation
Prohibition

8. 1919-ratified-Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages
1933 repealed by the 21st amendment because unpopular
18th Amendment

9. African Americans not welcome in reform organizations, so they formed their own
1896: National Association of Colored Women (NACW)
Harriet Tubman- underground railroad conductor-member
1916: over 100,000 members
Civil Rights

10. 15th Amendment 1868: gave vote to African American men, but not women
Spurred suffragists into action
15th Amendment

11. 1869- National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) founded by Susan B
1869- National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) founded by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton
1869-American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA)- with Henry Ward Beecher as its president, aligned with the republican party and worked exclusively on winning the right to vote on a state-by-state basis
1869-Wyoming first territory for women votes
12 states approved before nationwide approval
Women Organize

12. 1869-1906: testified before congress for women’s suffrage
1872: Illegally voted in Rochester, NY
Fined $100, not allowed to testify
Susan B. Anthony

13. Anti-suffrage arguments
Voting would interfere with women’s duties at home or would destroy families
Women did not have the education or experience to be competent voters
Believed most women did not want to vote
Liquor industry feared women would vote for prohibition
Some churches were against it-felt families should be represented by the man
Anti-suffrage arguments