Women’s Civil Rights 1865-1992 Specification Questions
Describe and explain the position of women in 1865.
- women’s place was in the home, with the average birth rate at 5.42 children per woman,
often higher in families of immigrants and Christians
- few women graduated high school and entered higher education
- those who were employed had jobs within the home (ie. Domestic work, agriculture,
laundry etc), mostly immigrants and working class who needed a second income to survive
- no protective legislation for women at work, unable to join trade unions and subject to
harsh conditions, low pay and long hours
- Seneca Falls Convention 1948 had little impact on government
- state governments were beginning to acknowledge women’s political rights, with Colorado
giving women the right to vote in state elections in 1893
Evaluate the impact of industrialisation on women.
SUCCESSES
- increased the number of women in work (number trebled by 1900)
- 50% of high school graduates were female by 1900
- acknowledgement of the need for protective rights for women in the workforce
FAILURES
- women still only made up 17% of the total workforce
- many jobs were still only reserved for men (ie. Medical, heavy industry, technology)
Describe and explain the nature of women’s responses to industrialisation.
- many entered the workplace in manufacturing and industrial work (number of women in
work trebled by 1900)
- NCL formed in 1899, campaigning for women’s rights in the workplace
- decrease in the average birth rate (1850-1900, 5.42 to 3.56), showing change in women’s
focus from the home to employment
Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of women’s responses to industrialisation.
SUCCESSES
- Industrialisation created more non-domestic jobs for women (number of domestic
servants fell by 50% 1870-1900, 18% in employment in 1870 to 22% in 1900)
- Women offered union representation in 1881, by mid 1880s female membership in trade
unions was at 50,000
FAILURES
- Industrialisation caused more inequality, harsh working conditions with no protective
rights and sexual exploitation, usually confined to unskilled, low paid jobs
- 1890 Bureau of Labor survey found 800 men and women in the same job and saw men
receiving higher wages
- expansion of cities brought rapid growth of prostitution
- by 1900 only 2% of all trade unionists were female
Impact of westward expansion on civil rights of women.
- 1862 Homestead Act enabled women to own land in their own right, giving them property
rights and some form of equality
Describe and explain the position of women in 1865.
- women’s place was in the home, with the average birth rate at 5.42 children per woman,
often higher in families of immigrants and Christians
- few women graduated high school and entered higher education
- those who were employed had jobs within the home (ie. Domestic work, agriculture,
laundry etc), mostly immigrants and working class who needed a second income to survive
- no protective legislation for women at work, unable to join trade unions and subject to
harsh conditions, low pay and long hours
- Seneca Falls Convention 1948 had little impact on government
- state governments were beginning to acknowledge women’s political rights, with Colorado
giving women the right to vote in state elections in 1893
Evaluate the impact of industrialisation on women.
SUCCESSES
- increased the number of women in work (number trebled by 1900)
- 50% of high school graduates were female by 1900
- acknowledgement of the need for protective rights for women in the workforce
FAILURES
- women still only made up 17% of the total workforce
- many jobs were still only reserved for men (ie. Medical, heavy industry, technology)
Describe and explain the nature of women’s responses to industrialisation.
- many entered the workplace in manufacturing and industrial work (number of women in
work trebled by 1900)
- NCL formed in 1899, campaigning for women’s rights in the workplace
- decrease in the average birth rate (1850-1900, 5.42 to 3.56), showing change in women’s
focus from the home to employment
Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of women’s responses to industrialisation.
SUCCESSES
- Industrialisation created more non-domestic jobs for women (number of domestic
servants fell by 50% 1870-1900, 18% in employment in 1870 to 22% in 1900)
- Women offered union representation in 1881, by mid 1880s female membership in trade
unions was at 50,000
FAILURES
- Industrialisation caused more inequality, harsh working conditions with no protective
rights and sexual exploitation, usually confined to unskilled, low paid jobs
- 1890 Bureau of Labor survey found 800 men and women in the same job and saw men
receiving higher wages
- expansion of cities brought rapid growth of prostitution
- by 1900 only 2% of all trade unionists were female
Impact of westward expansion on civil rights of women.
- 1862 Homestead Act enabled women to own land in their own right, giving them property
rights and some form of equality
