Frances Perkins Research Paper

After four years of seemingly endless battle between a divided nation, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War, abolition may not have been carried out. The nation might have remained divided. Women might have remained confined to their roles as the "homemakers." Although the Civil War was fought in hopes of preserving the nation and ridding it of slavery, another war raged on within the depths of this war--the women's war. Serving as nurses both in the hospital and on the battlefields, women came to know a whole

Throughout history, individuals have fought for more justifiable working conditions. Florence Kelley, a social worker and reformer, fought to gain more adequate working conditions for the children of the United States. At this time nearly twenty percent of American workers were under the age of sixteen. Kelley delivered a speech in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905, during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, that strived for more fair-minded hours, rather than the long, unhealthy, and tedious shifts thats children were put through overnight. Kelley utilizes both appeals to logic and appeals to emotion, in order to rally up her audience in joining her to fight for more rational, more healthy, and more just hours.

For social reform, the Women’s Trade Union League was on the foremost authority, organizing protests and working against prostitution, white slavery, and other social problems that many women faced (15). For political and labor reform, Frances Perkins was on the vanguard of political protests and building regulations. Not only did she get the attention of Tammany Hall, and helped push it to become more progressive, and pass the fifty-four hour law, which took 20 hours off a worker’s week, but she eventually became the first female cabinet member and pushed for Charles Murphy to endorse voting (218). After the Triangle Factory Fire, “she quickly mastered the details of the sprinkler systems, fireproof stairways, fire drills, and more. She knew, in an intellectual way, that New York Factories were extremely vulnerable” which was invaluable in pushing for more building regulations (195). As for economic opportunity, the overall strikes of the women who had been protesting eventually got the attention of the government, and a minimum wage was established in the early 1930’s. Clara Lemlich was one of the leaders of these strikes for pay raises and better factory conditions, and despite being beaten, she led many strikes and became one of the foremost figure in the labor reform movement. She was, “a new sort of

Woman along with the children were affected while working during the industrial revolution. During 1834 and 1836 Harriet Martineau, a British feminist and abolitionist, visited America and enthusiastically embraced the social implications of the Industrial Revolution, (DTA, 223). Martineau compared the lifestyle of women to slaves and said the United States contradicted the principles of the Declaration of Independence. She did believe though with some progress that it could become New England’s new industrial order. One of the Mill factories Martineau visited, Waltham Mill, was a prime example of the scheduled lifestyle of women mill workers. Women Mill workers of all ages worked at Waltham Mill, which I compared to a boarding school because of their strict schedules. The ladies had a time to wake up, to be at work, to eat, and to go to school. A lot of women did not mind the harsh conditions they lived and worked in because they fought for their equality of rights for a long time now.

Since capitalism has existed, children have been able to work. These children have worked in the harshest conditions and the longest hours. With thousands of children working in the United States, social worker Florence Kelley decided something needed to be done about it. So on July 22, 1905, she delivered a speech to the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), analyzing, and explaining the problems with children in the workplace. She uses the rhetorical strategy, cause and effect, to exemplify the pros and cons of child labor at the time. Kelley later explains how her thoughts can reflect on the future of child labor in the United States.

As hardworking women living of the prairie, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can relate to Mrs. Wright’s situation. They know personally that long days of doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning can become very tiresome (Hedges 91). They realize that living on the prairie can force a woman to be confined to her own house for weeks at a time, and because Mrs. Wright never had children, the grueling loneliness that she suffered must have been excruciating. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both experience the constant patronization and sexual discrimination that most women in the early twentieth century lived with. They empathize with the difficulties of Mrs. Wright’s life and almost immediately a bond is formed with a woman they do not even know.

Just a short eight days ago, Jeannette Rankin paved a new path for women as she became the first Congresswoman. On November 7, she won the position of U.S. Representative for the state of Montana. She has already made major impacts in other states such as Washington and California, and she hopes to continue her dreams as a Representative.

To what extent is Frances Perkins responsible for and involved in the economic and social policies during The Great Depression? Frances Perkins role in government through pre and post great depression is not as widely recognized as some her fellow cabinet members who also pushed the New Deal. The details of who was the driving force behind the New Deal have been skewed over the years. How did Frances Perkins influence the economic and social policies of the Great Depression? Do people only remember Perkins for being the first female cabinet member under Franklin D. Roosevelt or was she actually a visionary of her time. During the time of the New Deal and new government, involvement in economy and the

Frances Perkins came from a wealthy family in Maine. From her mother, she inherited the propensity to be stingy with money, earnest, and brutally honest. In 1902, she attended Mount Holyoke College, where she used her glibness to barely get by. Instead of focusing on improving her strengths, Frances’ professors sought to improve her weaknesses; Especially her moral ones. This was done with the idea in mind that if she were to overcome her shortcomings, she would be able to conquer anything life threw at her. After graduation, Frances struggled to find something meaningful to do with her life; That is the tragedy of The

Daisy Bates is an African American who owns the Arkansas State Press, and is the president of the NAACP chapter in Arkansas. She is married to Christopher Bates. Mrs. Bates has supported and documented the integration of Central High School from the beginning. She was born on November 11, 1914, she is 44 years old. When she was born her mother was sexually assaulted and

American society has undergone a major social change due to the work of numerous great leaders and their legacies that live on today. Over the course of the last century, there has been a shift in federal government supports of its citizens. A major contributing factor for this can be attributed to strong female leadership, including that of Fannie “Frances” Perkins. While perhaps not the most well known, she had a substantial impact as a spokesperson for the less fortunate. A conservative, quiet leader, she sought to help the poor and destitute; her ideals shaped some of the most important legislation of the United States.

Frances Perkins was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century, yet she is not really a house hold name. Perkins was named Secretary of Labor by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. As the first Female Cabinet secretary, she spearheaded the fight to improve the lives of American working people. Perkin's ideas became the cornerstone of the most important social welfare legislation in the nation’s history, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, the forty hour work week, and Social Security. Born Fannie Coralie Perkins in Boston, Massachusetts

This is an essay about a girl. A girl who was a ballerina. On the other hand, she was a warrior. A warrior who would want equal rights. This is an essay about a girl named Franceska mann, who was a hero and a legend during the Holocaust.

Perkins grew up with a father who was fair-minded and a mother that volunteered at church and helped the poor neighbors. Perkins was given freedom to express herself and was encouraged by her mother to help and befriend the poor. This caused Perkins to view things outside the box of the current political and conservative era. She analyzed why some people were poor, and others were not (Downey, 2009). Fannie began to see the social injustice at a very young age, setting her up to be Frances Perkins, the social worker who helped mold the old age benefits better known as social security benefits and the fair labor act.

She thrived in an industry which was predominantly male-operated, challenging the limits of what a women could pursue. With her knowledge of the family business, Frances was considered “as good a judge of credits as any banker in the country.” (74) Frances Harling proved herself to be just as capable as any male banker, much admired for her capabilities by both old and new generations of the time. Among the women of Black Hawk, Mrs. Gardener also challenges gender norms by running a business. She runs a hotel, with primarily male visitors, with the help of her husband. Although it was common at this time for men to be in charge of their family’s business, Mrs. Gardener took this position in her family’s dynamic. It was in fact “Mrs. Gardener who ran the business and looked after everything. [...] [Her husband] was a popular fellow, but no manager.” (89) Although men were usually the breadwinners of their families during this time period, Mrs. Gardener showed that women could be breadwinners as well. Her skills and ambition provided her with a successful business opportunity that she took pride in. Additionally, her husband appeared grateful for her skills as Mr. Gardener realized “that without [Mrs. Gardener] he would hardly be more than a clerk in some other man’s hotel.” (93) Mrs.