The changing role of women in the USA

• Got the right to vote in 1920
• part of the 19th Amendment to the US constitution
• only white women got the right to vote
• Black women got the right to vote in 1964
• rate of progress was quicker for white women than black women

• increased employment opportunities for women
• however after the war, the majority of women gave up their wartime jobs
• returned to their roles as mothers and wives
• or to traditional 'female jobs' e.g. nursing
• Black women did not really benefit from the war- earned less than white women
• Black men progressed, being allowed into the army and the airforce (tuskegee airmen)
• progress for white women slightly quicker than progress for black women
• progress for black men quickly than progress for black women

• media encouraged women to fulfil traditional family role
• some women encouraged to take up paid employment
• limited choice of career
• were bored of daily routine
• had increased freedom because of labour saving devices like washing machines
• black women could not afford the labour saving devices so did not have as much freedom
• black women earned less than white women
• progress quicker for white women than black women

• earned 50-60% of the wages men earned doing the same job
• only 7% of doctors were women
• 4% of lawyers were women
• civil rights act banned discrimination due to gender
• National Organisation for Women (NOW) set up
• demanded equal rights for women
• challenged discrimination in the courts
• similar to NAACP- same aims, but focused on women instead of POC
• black women and men got right to vote, lots of civil rights protests, civil rights act
• progress quicker for black americans than women

• NOW has 40,000 members
• abortion legalised
• gave women more sexual freedom
• black americans have developments in sports, tv, film, music and politics
• progress slightly quicker for black americans than women

• first woman appointed to supreme court
• first american woman in space
• 70% of women of working age are in employment
• many still in traditional jobs
• black americans have many further advances in sport, politics, tv, film and music
• rate of progress is around the same for women and black americans

1940's- mention employment opportunities for white women compared to black women compared to black men

1950's- mention increased freedom through new appliances- black women could not afford them

1960's- mention black women get right to vote 40 years later than white women, creation of NOW, civil rights act

1970's-2000- mention abortion law, advances of women in supreme court, space etc. , women still in traditional jobs earning less than men