Modernizing America, 1889−1920

Supplemental Materials Art Activities Exercise and Functional Fashion Industrialized clothing manufacturing during the second half of the 20th century paved the way for new department stores. This new urban space helped change the way women lived within the city. Before 1850, it was unusual to see a respectable woman out in public without a male companion. New shopping districts offered places for independent leisure and refreshment. Affluent women could socialize unchaperoned, and working-class women could find white-collar jobs as sales clerks and buyers. At the same time, city parks across the country provided recreational space for women to enjoy independently and where they could engage in physical activities including ice skating and bicycling. Students will embody the role of creative designer for a 19th century department store on Ladies’ Mile. Their job is

This unit focuses on women's lives at the turn of the 20th century, considering themes of progressivism, immigration, suffrage, nativism, and industrialization in order to emphasize the broad range of experiences for women of this era.

Xenophobia and Racism Key Ideas 1. The continuing rise of nativism, xenophobia, and racism led to a limited definition of what it meant to be an American. 2. National and local policies frequently restricted the rights of non-white women. 3. Although social reformers promised great change, the benefits of reform were not necessarily meant for all. 4. Many women fought against racist policies and beliefs, often risking their own personal safety. Introduction Bettmann, Japanese Picture Brides at Immigration, 1920. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Xenophobia and Racism The racial tensions born in the nineteenth century spilled over into the twentieth. For all of its promises of equality and protection, the Progressive Movement was deeply entrenched in white, middle-class society. This privileged view of the world offered a limited definition of what

Woman Suffrage Key Ideas 1. The fight for woman suffrage was not new in this era, but the rise of social reform gave it new momentum. 2. Women across racial, economic, and social lines fought for the vote using a variety of strategies and tactics. 3. Not all women wanted the vote, and the anti-suffrage movement was led by many outspoken women. 4. The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised women nationally, but it also raised questions about how to empower women to exercise their new right to vote. Introduction "Votes for Women" Pennant, 1910-1920, United States. New-York Historical Society Woman Suffrage The fight for woman suffrage was not new in this era, but it did have new momentum. The rise of social reform and progressive