1880-1920 DBQ Essay

Some historians label the time frame 1880-1920 as the Women’s Era. During this time women began to gain economic and political opportunities from modern technologies, leading to new job opportunities, and women lead movements. Although women do begin to be noticed as a contributor to American economics during this period, women have always played a role in the economy. They have always been producers and consumers as well as workers; whether it be for a wage or within the household. (Document A) Despite new job opportunities, for many women roles did not change within this period but over a longer period of time. Women soon learned that despite their backgrounds they all possessed traits connecting them together as one. As new technologies …show more content…
Active reformers such as Florence Kelley who after participating in Progressive reform causes later became the head of the National Consumers League. This league encourages consumer to not purchase items produced by sweatshop labor commonly known as child labor. Jane Addams was another spokesperson for progressive ideas much like the reformers acknowledged in (Document B). Addams led settlement houses such as the Hull House in Chicago which provided education and sometimes healthcare to the poor and immigrants. As women begin to work jobs outside of the home a concern for health care and birth control arises due to the struggles faced by working mothers. Birth control advocates such as Margaret Sanger and Emma Goldman argued women should be able to be in a sexual relationship without having children. Goldman was arrested more than forty times in attempt to share these ideas and was later deported. Sanger was sent to prison for opening a clinic educating and distributing working class women with birth control. This fight over birth control not only united women of all different backgrounds, but also put women in the spotlight over freedom of speech and later the right to

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