Role Of A Typical American Woman

Women gained notoriety during the depression as they were seen as the “pillar” of every family, staying home and raising

The Great Depression was hard and full of suffering but when you take a closer look that time period gave us a lot of things that helped make the united states what it is today. America in the 1930’s was like a yoyo. There were some inevitable downs but the hard times ended and we always came back up. The decade long financial crisis showed us how to change our economy with a positive impact. People respond to change with adversity and creativity. Adversity provides new opportunities to learn and advance. The Depression brought our nation together and set us with a common goal in mind; fix our nation.

This article discusses the changing role of women in America during the 1920s. It talks about the transition in the role of women from their wartime jobs during WWI to their jobs in their homes working as housewives. The article also describes the new norm of women that says women should be nurturing their own children in contrast to women who would hire nursemaids to care for their children. Moreover, the article also describes the new view of women as the topic of sex became less taboo during the 1920s. This article was retrieved from a reputable online database, Explora, but is originally found in the book Failure is Impossible by Martha E. Kendall. In addition, the book this article is found in was published in the 21st century, which contributes

After World War I America 's economy was booming. People everywhere were making money and spending it on electronics, movies, cars, music, and late night parties. This was the time when no one had a care in the world and just enjoyed the luxury life style. But while everyone enjoyed the new amenities and frivolous spending, no one knew what was going on with the banks. Most people were extremely overjoyed with all the money coming in, it hadn’t occurred to them what problems were happening. The Great Depression wasn 't just caused by the Stock Market Crash but by false prosperity, and overproduction, which affected people 's social life, banks, and unemployment across the country. It was only nine short years of prosperity until a dark cloud came rolling in across the country.

The Great Depression was the single worst economic crisis ever experienced by the United States. In President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 's own words, by 1933 fully one-third of the nation 's citizens were ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished. Roosevelt 's was a presidency sired in crisis and sustained in war, and the very fabric of American society could not but be fundamentally altered as these extraordinary years progressed (Heale 2001, 16). One such fundamental change pertained to the American family. The Great Depression would forever reform the ways in which women in America were perceived, utilized, and ultimately, needed. Eliciting deep wellsprings of resourcefulness and ingenuity, the Great Depression demanded that women assume

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that during the Great Depression era, “...the federal government did prohibit a married couple from both holding government jobs, and as late as 1939, legislatures in 26 states considered laws limiting married women's work. Both men and women believed that married women should give up their jobs if their husbands wanted them to. In the Depression decade, those wives who worked outside the home were viewed as selfish, greedy women who took jobs away from male breadwinners.” (Grice) Historians have documented that the role of women as a minority in 1930s America was largely to remain as a man’s inferior and serve as a servant in the household as they were shamed if they chose to get

The Great Depression of October 1929 was triggered by the crash of the stock-market. This period of the 30s have been marked as one the worst economic crises in America. The lower working-class Americans were greatly affected for jobs was not easily found, and farming became harsh due to deflated crop prices, soil depletion, and farm mechanization. Seniors who were too elderly to work relied heavily on hard-pressed families and charity in order to survive. Education was at a stake during the time. Children were cut off from schools to help contributing to the families by working at any job they could manage. There are many cases of two or even more families living together under one roof. American were facing unemployment and loss of hope for

The Great Depression took an enormous toll on the people living through it. The people living through the great depression had to suffer for years with little income and pocket-sized savings. People were obligated to, “cut back on everything possible.” Farmers lost money due to no rain for crops to grow, and nevertheless tried to take out loans from the government. Some buildings like the Marion Building and Loan went bankrupt, putting jobs in jeopardy. The people living through The Great Depression learned to live with almost nothing. The people were able to pull the economy together and stop The Great Depression, but consequently the bad majorly outweighs the good.

In urban America, as men continuously lost their jobs, women had to try to find work to feed themselves and their families. During the Great Depression, “women made up 25% of the work force, but their jobs were more unstable, temporary or seasonal than men, and the unemployment rate was much greater” (McMahon). But even though it was very difficult to acquire jobs, less was expected of them than for rural women. Before the Great Depression, women already had trouble obtaining jobs, but “during the 1930s, a woman's chances for employment were often even slimmer. In the eyes of society, unless a woman was single and self-supporting, she was supposed to be a homemaker, helping her family through the national crisis by being thrifty and resourceful” (Press 19). This pressure for women to know how to save money for the family instead of looking for a job

Although being a housewife was expected of women in the 1920s, it was not always what they wanted. Before the 1920s women were beginning to make a few changes because their husbands and sons were off to World War One. This meant women spent their time taking their place in the factories and other work areas, Which is less time at home and taking care of their kids. “Women’s employment rates increased during WWI, from 23.6% of the working age population in 1914 to between 37.7% and 46.7% in 1918”

Women played a significant role in the Great Depression. While men were out trying to find work, women stayed at home and tried their best to keep the home life as normal as possible. Keeping the home life normal proved to be a very difficult task. Women did their best, but in “1935–1936 the median family income was $1160, which translated into $20–25 a week to cover all their expenses, including food, shelter, clothing, and perhaps an occasional treat like going to the movies. Women “made do” by substituting their own labor for something that previously had been bought with cash or by practicing petty economies like buying day-old bread or warming several dishes in the oven to save gas” (Ware). Women had many ways of being frugal that were used during this time, like “instead of buying clothes or groceries, they sewed their own clothing, baked their own bread, and canned their own vegetables. Some women started home businesses such as laundries or boarding houses” (Appleby 345). Nothing went to waste when times got tough; everything had a use. With close to no “money for new clothes, inventive Americans found new uses for what they already

The Great Depression is the biggest economic downfall America has ever experienced. It was a time when almost all Americans suffered, one way or another. It was a devastating period for several people and, therefore, thousands went through rough family separations, poverty, and other emotionally challenging experiences. Starting in 1929 lasting ten years, this was one of the longest economic downfalls in the history of such a modernized world, and unfortunately, the people were highly affected, as over fifteen million people became unemployed, which is a prodigious twenty-five percent of the population (Taylor, par. 7). Due to the fact that America was one of the most industrialized nations, this depression was truly unexpected. One stock market crash set America in a completely different direction, and the American dream that everyone aspired to achieve in their lifetimes suddenly vanished. Thousands of people became jobless and got thrown into the streets, not knowing what to do. Albeit many may say that the people suffered deeply, others believed there was a silver lining. Survivors of The Great Depression mention that they have changed emotionally, physically, and have become more conscious towards helping their planet Earth. Thus, while the lack of financial security during the Great Depression was certainly emotionally stressful, for many Americans this uncertainty actually triggered significant personal character developments in many facets of their lives.

"People caught in their own yards grope for the doorstep. Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk…. The nightmare is deepest during the storms. But on the occasional bright day and the usual gray day we cannot shake from it. We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions” (Carlson). The Great Depression was a time of great poverty, low income, and decline of population. The Great depression was the result of many factors, some of which included the crash of the stock market, struggling to make money, people borrowing too much money, overly-produced goods, bank failures, and the world’s debt in trade. Many people during this time lost their jobs and many families were too poor to send their kids to school. Many farmers had fled to California in search of jobs and better

The Great Depression was a time of great struggle. The stock market crashed in 1929, which accounted for 40 percent of America’s capital. People lost their life savings as the banks scrambled to refill their coffers. Farm income fell 50 percent. Corporations collapsed. Businesses closed. Roughly one-fourth of the nation lost their jobs. Those who were able to keep their jobs experienced an over 30 percent drop in salary. This catastrophe did not affect everyone though. The Upper Class was largely unaffected by the state of the nation. They went on having lush parties and living fancily. In retrospect, they probably saved a lot of livelihoods. Those in the service and entertainment industry were able to maintain a steady

The Great Depression remains to be one of the worst economic times in the history of the United States. In recent years, the United States was struck with the