Women in the early 1900s

Women were treated unfairly in the early 1900s. Women still worked primarily in the home (Shi, Tindall). The prevailing assumption was that women by nature were most suited to marriage, maternal duties, and househould managment(Shi, Tindall). During the early 1900s, industrial growth boomed and women were finally welcomed into the work force. (Kessler-Harris) Many women started to work in cloth factories. They were offered a place to live, steady pay, and a access to a library so that they may be educated. (Shi, Tindall) Overtime, the living and working conditions started to deteriorate and wages decreased from year to year. Young girls were especially used in the sewing room because if something went wrong with the machinery, they were small enough to get in there. (Kessler-Harris) Men were given the cushy jobs, while women worked long, tetious days in the factory.

Kessler-Harris, Alice. Where are the Organized Women Workers?. New York: Feminist Studies Inc. 1975. 93-110 Print.

Shi, David Emory. Tindall, George Brown. “America: A Narrative History.” Women’s Work. 8th ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 350. Print.

Shi, David Emory. Tindall, George Brown. “America: A Narrative History.” The Lowell System. 8th ed. New York: Norton, 2010. 332-335. Print.