Women In The Gilded Age Essay

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Women in the Gilded Age The “New Woman” had greater freedom to pursue public roles and even flaunt her "sex appeal," a term coined in the 1920s and associated with the rise of the new woman. She challenged conventional gender roles and met with hostility from men and women who objected to women's public presence and supposed decline in morality. Expressing independence and individuality, the new woman represented the tendency of young women at the turn of the century to reject their mothers' ways in favor of new, modern choices. However, throughout the Gilded Age, many members of society worried about the strength of American manhood, the idea however, was to create a maternal nation. Upper-middle-class women of the late 19th century were not content with the adoration of domesticity shown by women in the early 1800s. Many women had become college educated and craved to put their knowledge and skills to work for the public good. A maternal nation meant just that. The values of women included — caretaking, goodness, purity; these would be taken out of the home and placed in the public life. The result was a broad reform movement that transformed America. Many educated women of the age felt that many of society's greatest disorders could be traced to alcohol. …show more content…
Upper-middle-class women of the late 19th century were not content with the adoration of domesticity shown by women in the early 1800s. Many women had become college educated and craved to put their knowledge and skills to work for the public good. The values of women included — caretaking, goodness, purity; these would be taken out of the home and placed in the public life. The result was a broad reform movement that transformed America. Women’s Suffragist like Frances Willard and Jane Addams helped create women’s culture that is still used