Jeannette Rankin

“We may yet live to see that day when women will no longer be news. And it cannot come too soon. I want to be a peaceful, happy, normal human being, pursuing my unimpeded way through life, never having to explain, defend, or apologize for my sex” (Nellie McClung, 1929). Throughout most of history, men have had greater rights than women. In present days, the equality between men and women have improved, despite the fact that some countries are still striving to establish those same rights for both genders. What impact did Nellie McClung make on Canadian society? She is a perfect example of a Canadian social activist who advocated for the rights of women throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In this essay, I will examine the depictions of the fight for suffrage and the stand for electoral office, in addition to the contribution of the Famous 5 and the type of feminism she represented in order to demonstrate the impact and influence she had as a Canadian woman.

“I am, was, and always be a catalyst for change” (Chisholm, 1970). Shirley Chisholm was a Visionary Leader and Ethical Leader by challenging the country to live up to ideals of equality and opportunity, while navigating the rough political landscape, contending with racial and gender discrimination. In this essay, I will review how Shirley Chisholm used her visionary leadership traits by becoming the first African American congresswoman to create diversity and how she used Idealized Influence to garner votes to run for U.S. presidency. Additionally, I will review how Chisholm displayed Ethical Leadership by challenging the seniority system in Congress and how she used her moral values to stand up for what she believed in. Finally, I will review how Shirley Chisholm’s visionary and ethical leadership behavior is personally relevant to me. First, let’s review how Chisholm used her visionary leadership traits.

Though Jeannette gave her all to support her family, she did the same for herself without anyone’s support. She understood what it was meant to be poverty at a very young age and realised that she could not have what others did. While Jeannette didn’t have money, she was smart and resourceful to achieve whatever she could for herself. When Jeannette was young, she had already decided that if she wanted to do something for herself, she was going to have to do it herself. An example of this was when she herself to have buckteeth, and promptly said, “I decided to make my own braces,” and she did (Wall 200). In spite of Jeannette being underprivilaged and with less money, she found ways time and time again to succeed.

Describe Jeannette’s childhood, specifically her socialization or the process by which she acquired family values, information about social expectations, and survival strategies.

As Jeanette learns later on in the novel, ultimately in life all of the struggles and difficulties wont matter because life finds a way to work itself out. Throughout the novel the readers become aware of different messages being displayed. One of the messages relates to the fact that people need to trust in themselves and understand that they shape their own destiny. Just because Jeanette’s parents were not the ideal role models does not mean that Jeanette automatically prepares her life for

Her Mother seemed to be more put together than her father at times, even getting a job at one point helping the family out. Though her mother was a hedonist and did not contain the motherly love and sacrifice for her kids, this job helped Jeanette’s future. She helped grade papers which increased her knowledge of the outside world and “...the world was making a little more sense” as she read the papers and projects of her mother’s students (Walls 205). Her parents had such an opposition to the outside world that she hadn’t gotten every aspect of

“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” This quote relates to Shirley Chisholm because even though she was a women and African American, it did not stop her from becoming a congresswoman. Also becoming the first African American Women to run for presidency (biography.com). Shirley Chisholm’s life was influenced by her early life. Their major accomplishments to American society including becoming the first African American congresswoman helped them earn their place in history as an important African American.

The Rome Copper Workers’ Strike of 1919 was a huge part of Frances’ career. The Italian copper workers were not being paid enough money for the jobs they were doing. At the time, fancy new things were coming out like automobiles and new houses. The copper workers knew they were being treated unfairly and went on strike. They wanted a higher pay rate, and they wanted an 8 hour work day. Their boss was mentally ill and he would throw the workers down stairs and shoot guns at them. The mayor of the area wanted the governor to come to send state police, but they sent Frances

"A Senator of the U.S., a woman, is still a sort of political joke with our masculine leaders in party politics... But the trail has been blazed! The road is apparently rough-maybe rocky-but the trail has been located. It is an established fact. While it is also a romantic adventure, it will ever remain an historical precedent-never to be erased.” Rebecca Felton set the stage for women to become more involved in the political process, not only in Georgia, but also in the United States when she was appointed to the United States Senate in 1922. While she may have called it a “joke”, her position was a representation of her many years of political activism for women’s rights in Georgia. Over a span of nearly fifty years, Rebecca Latimer Felton used a variety of tactics to gain the attention of the public and encourage the advancement of white elite women in Georgia.

To this day the women’s suffrage movement ignites women in the present to keep those right burning. Alice Paul and her fellow women suffrages demonstrated through speeches, lobbying and petitioning Congressional Committees, with parades, picketing and demonstrations, and with arrest that lead to imprisonment. These women express courage that women still uphold for years after their legacy has passed on, such as the article “Women’s Strike for Equality,” by Linda Napikoski, in the demonstration that was held on August 26, 1970 on the 50th anniversary of women’s suffrage. As well as an article “Women to Protest For Equality Today,” by United Press that talks about on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the women’s suffrage and “declared war on firms that Damage the Image,” of the fair sex. Alice Paul, set the stage for inspiring women to fight for their rights everywhere across the world.

Jeannette Rankin was the first American woman elected to Congress. Jeannette Rankin was born on June 11, 1880. Her father was a rancher, developer and lumber merchant in Montana. Her mother was a teacher. She spent her first years living on the ranch, then moved with the family to Missoula where she attended public school. She was the oldest of eleven children. Jeannette went to Montana State University at Missoula and graduated in 1902 with a bachelor of science degree in biology. She worked as a teacher, seamstress and studied furniture design. Her father died in 1902 and left her money paid out to her over her lifetime. She then traveled to boston to visit with her brother at harvard. She became a resident in a San Francisco Settlement

Gloria Steinem was one of the most important leaders of the second wave of the women’s rights movement. As both an indirect and direct leader, she embodied her story by giving speeches and writing books and articles to help empower women across the United States and beyond. As she grew up in American society where sexism was present, she told an innovative story with visionary elements to prove to women that they were more than what society said they were. Her strong and feisty personality added to her success and I will argue that these factors along with her appearance helped her to be a major player and the face of the women’s rights movement.

    The feminism movement throughout the 1900’s showed much progression to equality in western society. It was this pivotal century that set the ball rolling for important women’s rights, including women’s suffrage in 1920, John F. Kennedy passing the Equal Pay Act in 1963, and even sparked revolutionary women such as Amelia Earhart, one of the first female pilots. But like all new changes there was room for improvement. This is where great speakers such as journalist Gloria Steinem stepped in. On May 6, 1970, Steinem spoke before Congress on the equal rights amendment as a supporter for female equality. She goes on to describe that still into the 1970’s that women were being socially discriminated

who got shot for what she believed in. She also wanted to make equal rights available, and

Women have found power in a variety of ways though out history in their struggle towards justice and equality. Though personal power can take many forms this paper will primarily focus on power found through gender solidarity, class issues, race or sexuality. I intend to examine the ways in which three different women, of different races and times in history, were able to find such power resulting in a positive change to either their own lives or the lives of others. Those women are: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt and Melba Beals.