Before we discuss this topic of women during the Progressive Era and how they benefitted from it and how they were also limited, I think it is important to first briefly explain essentially what Progressivism was all about. The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States, from the 1820s to 1920s. The main objective of the Progressive movement was eliminating corruption in government. The movement primarily targeted political machines and their bosses. Now that we have a better understanding of the Progressive Era we can go deeper into the topic and further discuss women and their roles during this time. During this era, for the most part …show more content…
How were their opportunities limited?” – we consider all the previously stated information and give an answer. Women benefitted greatly from their efforts in feminist and reform movements. They worked and fought endlessly to make sure their voices were heard. They stood tall in the face of adversity to ensure that future generations of women would no longer be treated unfairly. The efforts many women such as pioneers Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Lucy Stone propelled the legislations to grant political rights (property rights, etc.) and achieved the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. Once the 1920s came about women were finally able to start owning their sexuality and be free in who they are. Then we have black pioneers such as Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth who also fought for women, but for African American women and fought against racism for all black people. They, too, worked tirelessly for rights, but unfortunately it was a generation later before Congress would address the issue. Although some good came about, everything was not completely peachy keen. Times were allowing women to come into their own a little more, but for the most part society still looked upon them as less than – as fragile, delicate, and not as intelligent as men. That mindset is still very alive today. If you are born a female you are already born with one strike against you, and if you are born a black female you are born with two. I thank the brave and courageous women (both known and unknown) for their astounding efforts. They were not in