The Woman Behind the New Deal

A frustrating factor of this book is that Badger doesn’t use footnotes, even with direct quotes. Instead he refers to specific authors, newspapers, and other works within the book. This loss is aided by his lengthy bibliographic essay and a list of abbreviations used within the book and their meanings. This list helps because it clarifies the specific organizations and groups used in the book. Within the book, Badger manages to mix together a number of different interpretations to present an account of both the New Deal and its historiography. Badger proposes a comparison of the reforms instituted and their unanticipated consequences. Many of these were the exact opposite of what the New Deal proposed, for example, the stronger establishment of big corporations, urban sprawl rather than revived inner cities, weak labor laws, and others.

As the United States was continuing recovering from the Civil War and embracing the expansion of the West, industrialization, immigration and the growth of cities, women’s roles in America were changing by the transformation of this new society. During the period of 1865-1912, women found themselves challenging to break the political structure, power holders, cultural practices and beliefs in their “male” dominated world.

In 1905, in the United States, some children as young as six years old are working in factories and women aren’t allowed to vote. Florence Kelley is a fiery and inspiring child labor activist and also a suffragette. On July 22, 1905, in Philadelphia, she gives a speech to the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) to try to rally them to assist her in her main cause which is fixing the child labor system. In her speech where she doesn’t hold back, Kelley lets the audience know why the child labor system is atrocious and why they should get involved. She also tells them the steps that they should take to try to right these wrongs, in convincing their husbands to vote for child labor

Florence Kelley is a social worker and reformer who fights for child labor laws and better working conditions for women. At the National Assembly Women Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22, 1905, Kelley recites a speech about the issue of child labor laws. She uses rhetorical strategies such as repetition of the many negative aspects of child labor through specific examples, criticism of state policies, and emotional appeal. A combination of figures, logic, evidence, and emotional appeal will help convince her audience that child labor is a problem.

Frances now had to work very hard and maintain a job, not only for her and Paul, but for Suzanna. Frances helped her friend Al Smith win the governorship of New York. Karenna Schiff says “the name Frances Perkins is inextricably linked to that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but Al Smith, not F.D.R., is the man most responsible for launching her career”. When F.D.R. was president, Perkins recalled him saying “practically all the things we’ve done in the Federal Government are like things Al Smith did as Governor of New York.” Al Smith was the one who encouraged Frances to become a Democrat. All of Frances’ family was Republican when she was younger, and Al got her to ally with Democrats even though she was considered independent.

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

One of the most effective reform techniques is to “investigate, educate, legislate, enforce” (Fee/Brown, 2). This straightforward manner of rectification was summarized and utilized by Florence Kelley during the Progressive Era in the United States. During a period where women lacked suffrage, and most didn’t have steady jobs, Kelley was the head of the National Consumer’s League and had a resume that boasted affiliation with various other esteemed organizations (Verba, 1). She epitomized independence and confidence through both her civil activism and in her personal life. Florence Kelley’s resolve, willpower, and determination set a precedent that is still followed today- nearly 90 years after her death. She was truly a trailblazer of the

A fresh, personal, bottom-up approach to the women’s labor movement in the early 20th century

The role of women in American history has evolved a great deal over the past few centuries. In less than a hundred years, the role of women has moved from housewife to highly paid corporate executive to political leader. As events in history have shaped the present world, one can find hidden in such moments, pivotal points that catapult destiny into an unforeseen direction. This paper will examine one such pivotal moment, fashioned from the fictitious character known as ‘Rosie the Riveter’ who represented the powerful working class women during World War II and how her personification has helped shape the future lives of women.

Perkins heads up legislation on working hours, workmen’s compensation system, child labor controls, abolition of sweated-out work from home, and other safety codes. They work together on studies through the Labor Department on administration problems and job deficiencies that they would later use in the white house (Perkins 59). When the stock market crashes, they set up relief for the unemployed and publics work programs through their development of the Public Employment Service in New York (Perkins 61). Eventually, when Franklin is elected president, he invites Perkins to become the first woman cabinet member. In nineteen thirty-two, she officially becomes the Secretary of Labor for the nation and they work together to bring the programs they created in New York for the unemployed to the nation (Toedtman).

In Florence Kelley’s 1905 speech to the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia, she argues that child labor laws should be created and working conditions should be improved through the use of empowering diction and distinctive repetition.

Jeannette Rankin believed, “What one decides to do in crisis depends on one 's philosophy of life, and that philosophy cannot be changed by an incident. If one hasn 't any philosophy in crises, others make the decision" (Lewis, 2011). This quote introduces us to the life of an amazing woman who dedicated her life to the rights of women, children, blue-collar workers, veterans and most importantly - peace. Many times in this paper, Jeanette 's own quotes will serve as the voice of her moral courage. Born in an era of limited women 's rights, Jeannette Rankin challenged conventional thought about the influence and power of a woman. She was the first woman elected to Congress,

The South was in ruin. Politically, economically and socially, the post-Civil War South had to rebuild everything from its infrastructure to an economy no longer based on slave labor (“The New South” Lecture). Reconstruction found the southern United States in crisis and the rest of the country on the verge of exponential growth. Fortune seekers and families alike began moving West, followed by African Americans leaving the South in record numbers in the 1880s, heading toward the industrial cities of the northeast (“Industrialism” Lecture). A large influx of immigrant workers coupled with new management techniques and technologies, including assembly line production, created an America in transition, especially for women. Black, white, native-born or immigrant, American women found themselves moving West, helping rebuild their communities, or working in factories (Compilation of information from multiple lectures). These women in transition began entering into the normally male-dominated public sphere—an unprecedented move creating a “new product” of women, according to Dorothy Richardson in her autobiography The Long Day, which discusses the transitory nature of the life of working women and how they struggled to survive (Richardson 279/”Reforming America” Lecture). From 1865 to 1917, the social and economic instability of the United States impacted women, causing them to employ coping mechanisms to counteract the uncertain times.

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.

Ladies ' legislative issues in the 20th Century came to past self-characterized women 's activists, as conventional ladies associations handled issues of important to ladies ' regular lives. An examination of the positions and moves on welfare change made the researchers and feminist through Voters and the National Organization for Women in the middle of 1970s difficulties the suspicion that all white collar class women disregarded the issues of poor ladies and highlights a discriminating defining moment in American progressivism. The League 's activism uncovers the profundity and