1889 – 1920 Modernizing America Modern Womanhood
Key Ideas
1. Women’s roles and expectations evolved rapidly at the turn of the 20th century.
2. The evolution of women’s roles varied widely based on race, ethnicity, geography, class, and social status.
3. New opportunities in education and work opened doors for some women, but marriage, motherhood, and domestic life remained the main focus for most women.
Introduction
Ellen Swallow Richards and female students, 1888 [ESR13a]. Courtesy of MIT Museum.
Modern Womanhood
What did it mean to be a woman in modern America? The answer differed depending on race, ethnicity, geography, and economic and social status.
For the fortunate members of the middle class, modern womanhood afforded newfound freedom. Improved access to education, recreation, and white-collar jobs offered many young, single women independence that their mothers had not enjoyed. The cataclysm of World War I created unique opportunities for women to serve their communities and country. For most women, autonomy ended at marriage—wives were expected to give up their lives outside their homes to focus on caring for their families. But some women found creative ways to continue their public lives, and others defied social expectations entirely.
Women of color and women from working class backgrounds were also eager to take advantage of the opportunities of modern womanhood, but their options were limited by the economic and social realities of the time. Though widespread white supremacy made it difficult, even dangerous, for women of color to climb too high, they continued to pursue cultural, educational, and economic equality, welcoming every hard-won victory. Women of the working classes found their own way to embrace some of the aspects of modern womanhood, even if the opportunities of advanced education were out of reach.
Section Essential Questions
1. What are some of the hallmarks of modern womanhood? How did race, class, geography, and other factors influence a woman’s experience of modern life?
2. To what extent was life in this era a break from tradition? To what extent was it a reinforcement of traditional norms and values?
3. How did some women break from tradition and pursue a life not solely defined by marriage and motherhood? What role did the arts and creative industries play in this pursuit?
4. How did World War I change the roles available to women in society, and what was the lasting impact of these changes?
Resources
Life Stories
