Women's role and influence during the Progressive Era and New Deal

¶ … Role of Women During Progressive Era and Effect on Progressive Era Reforms

Changing Role of women

Effect of changing role on progressive reform

CHANGE OF ROLE OF WOMEN DURING PROGRESSIVE ERA AND EFFECT ON PROGRESSIVE ERA REFORMS

The objective of this work is to answer the questions of: (1) How did the role of women change during the progressive era? And (2) What effect did this have on progressive era reforms?

The progressive reformers, according to a general agreement among historians were individuals "born between 1860 and 1885" (Lindenmeyer, 2003) and were "men and women" who were the "first generation of Americans to come of age in a United States without slavery and an economy dominated by industrialization and urbanization rather than agriculture." (Lindenmeyer, 2003) Most of these individuals were "native-born, white, middle-class urban dwellers" with better access "to education than earlier generations and many were college educated." (Lindenmeyer, 2003)

I. CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Lindenmeyer states that the "growing influence of the women's rights movement and a greater focus on childhood as a special period of life based on middle-class family ideal signaled new roles for women and children within families and the larger society." (2003) The president during much of this era was Theodore Roosevelt who was only mildly supportive of women's right to vote. However, entrance into World I in 1917 by the United States brought about a change in the role of women in society. The justification used by President Woodrow Wilson for entering WWI was in order to "save the world for democracy" (Lindenmeyer, 2003) and the denial of the right to vote to women in the United States became indefensible.

CONCLUSION

The role of women witnessed a great transition during the Progressive Era as during this time women took a very active role in issues that concerned the social society within the United States bringing about reforms to education, health and many others area during this time. These women reformers played a vital role in the creation, development and implementation of the New Deal legislation of Roosevelt. Many social reforms resulted from the work conducted by women reformers such as Eleanor Roosevelt. Reforms included those involving, race, ethnicity, gender and social issues.