Women’s Rights: A Historical Perspective in Britain and the USA
Women’s Rights in Britain and the USA
British Women
Women in Britain commonly worked as domestic servants, teachers, or nurses. They also found employment in the textile industry. A few women were allowed to work in professions such as law, medicine, engineering, or architecture. Unmarried women, often called “spinsters,” frequently worked in textile mills. Queen Victoria believed that women were helpmates for men, with distinct duties and vocations.
Two significant associations emerged: the National Union of Women’s Suffrage, which saw limited progress, and the Women’s Social and Political Union, which adopted more radical tactics. The latter engaged in campaigns involving bombings of churches, smashing windows, chaining themselves to railings, and protesting outside Parliament. These actions were illegal, leading to many arrests and imprisonment.
Hunger strikes became a common form of protest. The government responded with the Cat and Mouse Act, where women were released from prison when near starvation, only to be re-arrested later. Emily Davidson became a martyr for the cause, dying after running in front of King George V’s horse during a race, symbolizing the motto “Deeds, not words.”
World War I significantly impacted women’s roles, as they took on jobs in transport, agriculture, farming, and munitions factories.
In the General Election of 1918, women over 30 were granted the right to vote. Sinn Fein elected the first woman MP.
Older divorce laws favored men, who also earned more than women for the same work. Other issues included family planning and property laws.
Women in the USA
In the USA, women were often considered the creative source of life but also the “weaker sex” and a source of temptation. Male children were often preferred. Women were expected to focus on maternity and housekeeping.
Their legal status was similar to that in Britain, with issues surrounding property laws, the clothing industry, discrimination in occupations and education. The legal system reflected gender bias; for example, a woman murdering her husband was considered homicide, while a man murdering his wife was often considered a “crime of passion.”
Few women worked in medicine or law. Female teachers faced restrictions, such as prohibitions against marriage and smoking, and strict dress codes. A significant wage gap existed, with women earning less than men in many jobs.
Four important feminist philosophers emerged: Mary Wollstonecraft, Margaret Fuller, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Reform movements focused on education (advocating for free, compulsory education for women), settlement houses for homeless women, prison reform, abolition of child labor, temperance movements (such as the Anti-Saloon League, aiming to abolish alcohol consumption due to its association with domestic violence and job loss), abolitionist movements to end slavery, and birth control.
US Constitution (1789) The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Other laws could be changed by rulings of the United States Supreme Court. Many times, Supreme Court cases are referred to as sb/sth vs. sb/sth.
Feminism
The first wave of feminism (influenced by Mary Wollstonecraft) prioritized the vote and political rights.
The second wave, the Women’s Liberation Movement, focused on reproductive rights, childcare, family issues, violence against women, employment and labor (addressing the wage gap), marriage, and divorce.
The “Backlash” or third wave saw voices criticizing feminist movements as too radical, leading to uncertainty about future directions.
American Myths
- Manifest Destiny: The belief in a divine right to found a new civilization and conquer and civilize the wilderness.
- The Frontier: The meeting point between civilization and savagery, representing a steady westward movement throughout the 19th century.
The Great War (WWI)
The Allies included Great Britain, France, and Russia. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The war marked the end of an era. Between 1914 and 1917, a stalemate developed, with trench warfare resulting in immense casualties.
In 1917, the USA entered the war “to make the world safe for democracy.” Russia made peace with Germany and ceased fighting.
In 1918, the war ended with the signing of the armistice. Europe was devastated, while America began to prosper.