Changes for Women

You may be surprised to learn that it took until the 1920s for women in the United States to have the right to vote. Voting wasn’t the only change for women during this time. By 1900, women had made a lot of progress. More and more young women were graduating from high school. More young women were also going to college.

In most states, women were beginning to be allowed to own property and keep the money they earned at their jobs. Before then, only the husband could do these things. Anything the wife earned belonged to her husband.

More and more women began working outside of the home. Most of the jobs available were separated into “men’s jobs” and “women’s jobs.” Most women worked as teachers, nurses, librarians, secretaries, factory workers, and telephone operators. Men were the only ones allowed to be doctors, lawyers, bankers, police officers, and mail carriers.

Sweeping changes were still needed. Women continued to fight for the right to work at whatever profession they wanted. Women demanded the same pay that men got. These changes were difficult to make happen. It took many more years. In fact, women today are still working for some of these same things.