Title: How Did the Roles of Women Change Over the Course of the Late 19th Century? | samanthacurtis
Headings: How Did the Roles of Women Change Over the Course of the Late 19th Century?
How Did the Roles of Women Change Over the Course of the Late 19th Century?
Content: They enjoyed few political, legal, or social rights and were expected to be subservient to their husbands and fathers in all matters. However, with the coming of the First World War and the industrial revolution the demand for workers to produce goods was higher than the available men in the U.S. at the time. As a result, women gained entry into the workforce and from that grew to establish gender equality within the United States permanently. Prior to World War I and the Industrial Revolution, women were primarily homemakers. The few jobs that were available to them were being a maid or a servant to a noble family, which entailed the exact same work ethic they applied when caring for their own families. There was little to no education for women and almost no opportunity for growth and advancement within the workplace. Along with the long-hours and hard working conditions, pregnant women were also expected to continue working up until their due date and return to work almost immediately afterward. Combining exhaustion with the sub-par medical practices of the time, most women had a severely low life expectancy and ended up literally working themselves to death. Toward the late 19 th century World War I broke out, also bringing on an increased demand for wartime goods and weaponry. With the men abroad, women stepped in to fill their shoes working in factories and acting as nurses to the wounded who returned home.