Gender Inequality During The Nineteenth Century

From the 1900s until present day many opportunities and movements have opened up to women. Women continuously strived to have equality among men. Now that we have the equality, roles of women and men have changed. One thing that has struck me odd are how women actually choose to go to work than stay home with their children. I would love to say home with them and do a “woman’s job”, but now I can even say that because it could offend someone. Things have changed for the good and some for the bad.

Up until the early 1900’s, women were seen by society as people with household roles that consisted of cooking, cleaning, and tending their children. As time progressed, the view of women in society gradually changed, but their opinions still did not seem to matter. It wasn’t until 1920, that women gained suffrage with the 19th amendment. This amendment was a huge step in gaining full and equal rights for women, but unfortunately discrimination against them still happens today. There are various different situations in which the issue of gender inequality occurs. Although the law states that everyone has equal opportunities and rights, women are highly discriminated against in everyday roles such as employment, extracurricular activities, military, and in the government.

As it turns out history really does repeat itself. As today we fight and most recently accomplished equal rights in the church. In the 1800’s we were fighting an equally important battle, equality for women. It is well known that women were second class citizen well beyond what anyone remembers. The movement to become equal citizens pressed through the 1800’s up until the Equal Rights Amendment for Woman was passed by congress on March 22, 1972 along with the Woman’s suffrage movement ratified on August 18, 1920. Up until these proud moments for America, it was up to brave individuals to make a stand for what they believed in and what they felt was right. Once word got out that woman were making a stand, women liberation movements began. Per

“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” This quote was said by Beyoncé, a famous female singer who embraces the woman she is. Even though gender inequality is present for women in both societies, there are many differences between the expectations of females in the 1930’s to females today.

Gender in the 1900’s was a particular subject that nobody touched upon. The women of that time period questioned it, what is this gender issue? These women at the time did not have the language to identify in equality. Though they very well knew it was going on. In the later 1950’s and 60’s they called it “The Problem that has no name”. This “problem” would prove to certainly be a revolutionary event in history. Gender in the 1900’s denied the Women who were apart of the suffrage movement from being a full fledged member of society and a citizen of the United States.

For a long time, America has been at a standstill, a period where the citizens, government, and states failed to recognize the desires of the oppressed. America was prosperous and patriotic, yet failed to acknowledge minorities groups suffering to be included. The oppressed groups, such as women, African Americans, and immigrants were often left with the crumbs that tyrants left in society. The oppressed had a dream, envisioned a life where their children could one day make it in this world. America was supposed to be that dreamland, the melting pot where people, of different ethnicities, had the chance to thrive. A place where women did not have to worry about being limited to certain roles and individuals with dissimilar racial status would

After World War I, also known as the great war, America went through a period called the ¨Return to Normalcy¨ created by Warren G Harding. United States helped to return to normalcy following the great war by improving equality amongst black and white people. They also had debates on science and religion and gain equality rights for women that sparked a positive changes.

The tragic narratives constructed by historians such as Cornelia Dayton in her article “Taking the Trade” and Amy Gilman Srebnick in “The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers” are crucial in analyzing the transformation of women’s reproductive health between the mid 18th century and the mid 19th century. Although Dayton and Srebnick’s narrations of abortions and death are based upon events that transpired nearly 100 years apart, a collective analysis of both sources creates a greater understanding of the societal perception of the woman’s role in colonial North America. Set in the context of a small New England village in the mid 18th century and the emerging metropolis of New York City mid 19th century New York City. One could argue a variety

Women in the early 1900s did not have any rights and were oppressed and held against their will to many things, such as housecleaning or taking care of the children, however, they started to protest for, and eventually gain, the rights that were due long ago. Due to the traditional family structure, prevalent throughout the 20th century, women were oppressed and not considered full, independent human beings. Furthermore, the existing literature suggests that all of these accusations held against the government were true and woman were, in fact, oppressed. They protested for their simple rights such as, the right to vote or the right to work. Back then, it was known men held a higher position on the social scale rather than women, however,

Women's struggle for equality in the 1800’s was a long and hard-fought battle. Women were the continual victims of discrimination in this era of time. The ideal woman was submissive; her job was to be a meek, obedient, loving wife who was totally subservient to the men around her. Mrs. Mallard is a woman who has been held the standard of an eighteenth-century wife with little to no freedom. In the short story, “Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin the woman gets set free from her husband, she realizes how she has been locked up from the free world.

Gender inequality has been the main focus for many centuries through the use of discrimination and oppression women were exploited. Where women had very little rights of their own or a voice in society but made many sacrifices to achieve equal rights whether it be in employment or other areas of inequality. As men were seen as masculine breadwinners and women as more feminine by looking after the family and raring of children.

“Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam” (Hosseini 7).

During the 19th Century women and men were expected to fill and shape different parts within society. Men were expected to be out in the public, whether working in a factory, socialising with other men in bars, clubs or meetings, whilst women were expected to remain homebound and take care of the cleaning, cooking and children. In addition to this, gender roles were reinforced through the use of fashion and attire being worn. Fashion evolved to emphasise men and women’s biological gender and encouraged them to act and behave in certain ways based on their gender. Therefore women began to wear restrictive corsets, long skirts and layers of petticoats because this fashion denoted a woman being a true lady.

For centuries the patriarchy was perpetuated by uneducated middleclass men, upper crust scholars and dutiful women. The emergence of liberalism in the 19th century resulted in the dismantlement of the patriarchy resulting in violence against women as a response. 19th Century liberalism acted as a catalyst for Patriarchal dismantlement and its resulting gender based violence, as it harnessed education as a means for empowerment and freedom. By raising social awareness and mobilizing free thought, the liberal movement disassembled the misogynistic train of thought. Liberalism introduced contemporary thought at the price of acrimony of men.

Gender inequality is defined as men being favored by society. Generally, men are superior to women and are physically strong and do not have to prove to society, unlike women. Also, men have more freedom than women. During the year 1492, Christopher Columbus explores the New World. No one could stop him because men do not have any limitations. Therefore, he goes on a twelve-year voyage and later finds a cheaper sea route benefitting Europe. In addition, the natives describe Columbus, “…they all believe that power and goodness are in the sky, and they believed very firmly that I, with these ships and crew, came from the sky…” (Burton, et al. 59). People instantly praised Columbus. Exploring the New World and discovering new islands was then