The Transformative Impact of the Women's Rights Movement on US Society

This essay delves into the profound impact of the women's rights movement on the development of the United States, focusing particularly on the women's suffrage movement as a catalyst for change. It examines the status of women before the movement, highlighting the societal constraints and inequalities they faced, and then explores the rise of the women's rights movement, emphasizing its goals of achieving equal political, economic, and social rights. The essay analyzes the political, social, and economic impacts of the suffrage movement, including women's increased involvement in politics, access to education and professional opportunities, and their growing economic contributions. Furthermore, it discusses the transformative effect of the movement on American society, fostering a shift in gender perceptions and contributing to the country's overall progress. The essay concludes by emphasizing the enduring legacy of the women's rights movement and its pivotal role in shaping a more equitable and developed United States.

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Impact of Women’s Rights Movement in the Development of U.S.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Women’s status before the movement.............................................................................................2
Women’s movement........................................................................................................................3
Women’s suffrage............................................................................................................................3
Impacts of women’s suffrage movement.........................................................................................3
Political........................................................................................................................................3
Social............................................................................................................................................4
Economic.....................................................................................................................................4
Impact of women’s movement on U.S............................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Women’s rights movement has impacted U.S from various angles. This movement was
started with their demand for equal voting rights in the early 18s. This ongoing movement not
only effected the development of women in U.S but also helped in developing U.S in major
degree. Unlike other important events like civil war and World Wars, this particular movement
washed away all negativity against women and established women as equal beings as men. Thus,
this study has focused on women’s rights movement and its impact on status of women and on
U.S in general. For this reason, mainly women’s suffrage movement has been illuminated to
present a study of U.S at the contemporary time.
Women’s status before the movement
Women’s status has always been lower than men in the world and U.S showed no
exception in that. In early 18s, it has been realized that the status of women as inferiors needed to
be changed in order to change their status in America (Muller 11). Before American Revolution,
even some male citizens were not allowed to vote. Except some elite women, no women were
given the respect that they deserved both in homes and in the outside world. Women were not
allowed to work for a living and were treated as showpieces to decorate one’s house with. This,
in turn generated huge level of poverty and as a result many women were found to be associated
with prostitution and many of them became alcoholic as well.

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Women’s movement
Women’s rights movement was in full bloom during 1850s. Due to civil war, this
movement lost its flavor. After the civil war, in the 14th amendment of 1868, citizens had been
defined as only men and that gave rise to another initiation of women’s rights movement in
America (Bell and Maurianne 23). Thus, this can be said that this particular movement was
started in order to get political rights as equal to men. Gradually, this movement included a
demand for equal economic, social, political and cultural rights. This has given rise to feminism
that started with demanding equal voting rights and is now fighting for gender equality from
every angle.
Women’s suffrage
Movement of women’s suffrage was initiated to fight against biased treatment regarding
women’s political rights. As an outcome, women got their voting rights in 1920. This particular
movement has been come out as a part of women’s rights movement (Greenbaum 29). Despite
many challenges in the way, women’s suffrage got its strength due to involvement of many
respectable women in the fight (Brown 20). Main barrier for this movement lied in the fact that
the society of that contemporary time was not open enough to welcome women in important
public affairs. For that reason, women were described as pious, domestic and passive part of the
society and women’s suffrage movement had been successful in modifying these mindsets
against women in contemporary U.S.
Impacts of women’s suffrage movement
Political

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Involvement of women was needed at the time of World War 1 because men were out
there to fight for their country. Thus, it became responsibility of women to earn for themselves
and for their families (Williams 149). This need has been affected by the ongoing women’s
suffrage movement. For the movement, women were given the rights to be involved in political
affairs and to speak for their country as well.
Social
Socially, this movement generated a major expectation for women of the country. As a
result, women got the rights to attend educational institutions like college and to be trained as
professionals also (Armstrong 33). In order to be more specific, this can be added that women
began to be seen in professions like medicine, corporate and law that used to be dominated solely
by men at that time in U.S.
Economic
Economic role of women had been increased due to women’s suffrage movement in U.S.
This not only affected status of women but affected the whole country in its economic
development. This has become more significant because women’s movement came into front
when the country had been facing major economic loss due to wars.
Impact of women’s movement on U.S
According to many historians, one of the most important historical events in United
States is women’s movement. In this regard, it can be said that American society had been highly
impacted by this movement. For example, society of America got its transformative element that
explains the way genders used to see themselves and each others at that time. As a result of this
movement, women demanded equal pay for equal work and that secured their economic position

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in the country. For the involvement of women in many important spheres like politics, literature,
corporate world, America had been able to uplift its position in each sphere (Douglas 31). This,
on one hand, inspired other countries to modify their social systems and their views on
equalization.
On other hand, this shifted the way in which people of the world used to view U.S before
the success of this movement. Other barriers of development, like culture and race, had also been
lessened due to women’s movement (King 39). Thus, it can be said that unlike other important
historical events, this particular event has more importance because this movement had been
successful in bringing only positive changes in American society that helped United States in its
path of development.
Conclusion
In order to conclude, this can be mentioned that this study has illuminated role and
impact of women’s movement and its effect on U.S. It has been seen that women’s suffrage
movement was the starting point for further struggle of gender equality. It has also been noticed
that this particular movement impacted U.S in most positive way by increasing scopes for its
development in many spheres such as economy. In order to be more specific, it can be said that
this study has focused on impact of women’s movement in the spheres of politics, economy and
society of the contemporary time and moreover on the development of United States.

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Bibliography
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1820." Alexander Street Archive Collection 11.4 2017: 31-50. Print.
Bell, Lee Anne, and Maurianne Adams. "Theoretical foundations for social justice
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44.Print.
Brown, Mary Jane. Eradicating this Evil: Women in the American Anti-Lynching Movement,
1892-1940. Routledge:UK 13.1 2017: 20-25. Print.
Douglas, Whitney. "Looking Outward: Archival Research as Community
Engagement." Community Literacy Journal 11.2 2017: 30-42. Print.
Greenbaum, Joan. "A design of one’s own: towards participatory design in the United
States." Participatory Design. CRC Press:U.S. 2017: 27-37. Print.
King, Deborah K. "Multiple jeopardy, multiple consciousness: The context of a Black feminist
ideology." Race, Gender and Class. 12.1 2016: 36-57. Print.
Muller, Samantha. "The Women Who Said “NO!” A Look at the Women, the Language, and the
Images Surrounding the United States Anti-Suffrage Movement." New Errands: The
Undergraduate Journal of American Studies 4.1 2016: 10-31. Print.
Williams, Stacy J. "Hiding Spinach in the Brownies: Frame Alignment in Suffrage Community
Cookbooks, 1886–1916." Social Movement Studies 15.2 2016: 146-163. Print.