The flapper represented the “modern woman” in American youth culture in the 1920’s, and was epitomized as an icon of rebellion and modernity. Precocious, young, stubborn, beautiful, sexual, and independent, the flapper image and ideology revolutionized girlhood. The term “flapper” originated in England to describe a girl who flapped and had not yet reached maturity. Middle-class, white, adolescent girls embraced the symbol of the flapper and the development of change and innovation. It is important to note not all young women embraced the flapper’s rebellious movement and adhered to traditional pre-World War I morals and values. Young women who joined the flapper movement would no longer abide by pre-conceived conventional expectations
The 1920s represented the post-suffrage era when women made drastic social and cultural changes that affected the American women way of life. Women began to seek more rightsand equal representation through changes in social values. However, women still observed their primary responsibility for caring for the household; and also depended on men for monetary support (Martin, 1926). The essay brings into perspective, various transformations that took place in the 1920s, resulting in the diversion of the traditional norms.
The 19th Amendment better known as the women’s suffrage era 1920 of the united states
The Roaring Twenties, characterized as a progressive era toward changes and advances, it was a start for freedom and independence for women. Women gained political power by gaining the right to vote. They changed their traditional way to be, way to act and dress to gain respect, and the liberty of independence. Society had different ways of ideals and the ways women were willing to do were disapproved of, and it was wrong for lots of different people, including women from the older generation. In the 1920’s women went through a lot of changes that made them a free spirit, changes that made them what they are now and having the liberty of being independent.
Many women in the early 1900’s sought for change. Some rose to power and took leadership over many organizations that pushed for equality. Women’s battle for voting rights was specifically led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. These women devoted most of their life to create a foundation which we live upon today. Women’s struggles lasted many decades until they finally achieved some equality under the 19th amendment.
The 1920’s were a period of tension between the traditionalists and modernists. The tension between these two groups was aroused by the economical advancements, social developments, and cultural changes in the 1920s. These tensions were manifested by the economic outburst and the passing of certain laws. Socially, Congress passed the 19th Amendment which allowed women the right to vote. Economically, the introduction of the automobile, radio, and the airplane brought prosperity in America. Culturally, the 18th Amendment banned the sale and drinking of alcohol in America.
The Nineteenth Amendment of the United States says that the government cannot deny a citizen the right to vote because of their sex. This amendment was passed by congress on June 4, 1919 and more than a year later, on August 18, 1920, the amendment was ratified and put into action. This amendment did allow many opportunities that women didn’t have before, but at the same time, women had to work twice as hard for something a man would get easily. There was a deeper meaning behind the women’s rights movement. They were not fighting for just the right to vote, they were fighting for equality. This was the first step to gaining equality. During these times,
Who were the founders and what methods did they use? What were their successes and/or failures?
In this aspect, the 1920s were one of the most influential decades in U.S. history because of the introduction of the "New Women". "New Women," or flappers, were young women who embraced the new ideas, freedoms, and modernism of the Roaring Twenties. Flappers wore new and popular clothing from the era. Their signature look was short "bob" hair, which represented their independence to men. A majority of flappers were women's suffrage activist. According to "American-Historama.org", "The 'New Women' of the 1920s had been given the right to vote.... could attend college, get a job or career..... clamoring to learn how to drive" This shows how the introduction of the "New Women" were influential because before the 1920s, women were housewives and had little education. However, on August 18, 1920, women were finally given the right to vote. This means that their issues such as alcohol, child labor would now be addressed. In addition, many of the "New Women" fought for equal education and job opportunities. Although women did not get exactly what they want, they would lead the way for many other women of different eras to help get equal opportunities for both genders. To further elaborate, the 1920s was the first decade when women started going to college and started driving. Going to college would expand women's education, which means they could now get a higher paying job. Furthermore, learning
The 1920’s marked a decade where women gained much more freedom. It all started on August 26, 1920 when the 19th amendment was finally ratified by congress (The Fight for Women’s Suffrage). When the 19th amendment was passed it gave all U.S. citizens
In the 1920s there were bold, venturesome, dauntless young women who broke society's idea of women standards to change the whole American culture. The book, Flapper, by Joshua Zeitz discusses the effects that books, movies, and celebrities of this time, had on the average women, which caused this era of flappers. These young women known as flappers weren’t the only change that the post World War One era brought. Throughout the book, these changes are brought up from religion to morals, to other changes, and these changes are what would completely develop new social norms in America.
Change within a society is extremely difficult to achieve, however, in the 1920s, Flappers altered societal norms by becoming the face of change and progress. Due to the flappers attempt at diminishing the suffocation and expectations that existed for women, society was slowly beginning to veer away from a patriarchal lifestyle where women were portrayed as inferior. As a result of flapper’s rebellious behavior and actions, more women became comfortable creating lives for themselves and becoming independent. Flappers were the first step to a soon to be skyrocketing development known as the feminist movement. Women began working, wearing less confined clothing, and started going out at night to drink and smoke like men did but, “these young
Before the 1920s women had barely any rights in the United States, they have continued fighting for equal rights between men and women ever since the Seneca Falls convention in 1848. All their hard work finally paid off in the 1920s when the 19th amendment was passed. The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote in every state. Before women got the right to vote they played a big role in World War One, they were key workers this means that
In most cases all women are described to have developed the “flapper lifestyle”. It is often ignored that although being a flapper was an ideal for young women in urban areas, it was not the epitome of what life should have been like for everyone. This can be seen by the way the ideal woman is described, “Flappers became the ideal for young women in the 1920s. From the clothes they wore to their attitudes, flappers were youthful, chic, and above all, modern. In the 1920s, American society rejected the Victorian attitudes of the pre–World War I (1914–18) generation. Flappers and their happy-go-lucky lifestyle set the tone for American popular culture. They partied, drank, smoked cigarettes, and danced to wild jazz music. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), whose writings chronicle the ‘Jazz Age,’ described flappers as ‘the generation that corrupted its elders and eventually over-reached itself—through lack of taste”. This description of the flapper lifestyle contrasts greatly with the life of a woman living in a rural area, who would have described family life on a farm to be very different from life in the city in the 1920s. Life on the farm, there was no electricity or indoor plumbing, and women made their own clothes. Since women were making their own clothing, as opposed to buying the latest fashion trends, women living in rural areas were not experiencing influences from World War I and women’s suffrage in the same way women of urban areas where. Instead, rural women’s clothing remained traditional. Farming was hard work, with long days and little money. These women, who lived and worked in rural areas were easily recognizable by their older, Victorian style dresses, and long hair. They contrasted markedly from flappers, who were generally recognized as young women who “bobbed” their hair, wore short, loose-fitting dresses, and enhanced their faces with
Imagine what the lives of women would be like if our world never evolved. Women would be staying home, not being able to seek what a professional job is, not being able to own property and much more. This would be truly discouraging, wouldn’t it? If this were the case for our society today, there would be a lot of uproar. Women would not be able to voice their opinions, which would have a lot of great ideas kept shut. However, on February 15, 1820, our world be blessed with a women that changed the women’s lives completely. Susan B. Anthony was just like any other girl brought up during this time period, but