Path Of Women 1865 Research Paper

The Path of Women from 1865
HIS204: American History Since 1865
Instructor Jill Walsh
March 10, 2014

The Path of Women from 1865
In a span of 149 years from 1865 to the present day, women have worked hard to gain many rights and liberties that have always been afforded to most men. Key events or specific developments among the 149 years such as gaining the right to vote establishing a political voice, transformations into modern times thus evolving the mindset, making significant contributions during World War II, fighting for pay that is fair and equal to men, and accomplishing a landmark of firsts for women in prestigious positions have all made their mark in history for pushing the boundaries of what the role of a woman
America joined the Allied forces and sent its troops across the sea into Europe. Around 14 million troops, which then strictly consisted of men, left the country to fight abroad, leaving an empty gap in the workforce. Around 7 million women stepped forward to fill the gap in the workforce. (Goldin & Olivetti, 2013). The reasons for why the women stepped forward varied for multiple reasons. Some of the reasons were because women wanted to make a contribution to the nation while it was at war, while others wanted an opportunity to work at jobs that otherwise would only be available to men, and then there were women who needed to work to support their families because their husbands were now making less while deployed than at their regular jobs. The women that filled the gaps in the workforce were helping on the home front but other women still wanted to help the war efforts in a different way. They wanted to enlist into the military also but women were still not allowed to serve in the Army. Women could not understand why they were not allowed to serve even though they had broken through barriers in the workforce proving they could do the same jobs as men could. A compromise was made and Representative Edith Nourse Rogers from Massachusetts presented a bill to Congress to create the Women’s Army Corps. The idea of women joining men into battle was not welcomed by various
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