The Female American Dream

- WWI increased female prominence in society - 19th Amendment (18 AUG 1920) gave them vote.

- the return to 'normalcy' brought in by the 1920s meant most women reverted back to their traditional pre-war values - with the WOMEN'S BUREAU OF LABOR being created in 1920 to stop this. They achieved slight success (female employment at the time rose from 8 mil to 13 mil) but unequal pay and rights still existed. 

- 'flappers' emerged for the first time in the 1920s. 

- TGD affected CLASS rather than GENDER, however most 'new deal' policies were geared towards men. FDR's wife, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, did construct 36 unemployment camps for women during the Depression, with 5000 being able to be contained in each. 

- individuals such as FANNIE PECK also tried to help out female African-Americans through setting up the NATIONAL HOUSEWIVES' LEAGUE OF DETROIT - only 50 members. 

- the passing of the SELECTIVE TRAINING AND SERVICE ACT in 1940 meant that women were now trained to fill the roles of men who left the US to fight in the SWW.

- this included women from minority groups, and by 1943 3 mil women worked in agriculture - 1 in 4 women working outside the home by 1945 - propaganda helped achieve this. 

- post-war however (when the additional 'womanpower' was no longer needed) - the media encouraged women to revert back again through advertising etc. TRADITIONAL views returned. 

- this persisted up until 1961 - where JFK called for a 'COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY ON THE 'STATUS OF WOMEN', which led to the EQUAL PAY ACT being passed 2 years later - aimed to abolish wage disparity dependent on sex. 

- the 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT applied to women as well as other minority groups.

- groups such as NOW (NATIONAL ORG FOR WOMEN) formed in 1966 by BETTY FRIEDAN strove to use legal system to advance female rights in all aspects of life. 

- Conservatives such as PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY opposed this, believing in tradition (STOP ERA)