The socioeconomic status of Women Rights Activists and African Americans during 1880-1914

The socioeconomic status of Women Rights Activists and African Americans during 1880-1914

In 1869, two women activist groups were formed, the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association. During the turn of the century, the socioeconomic status of women changed drastically; due to these women’s organizations, women did not only work but also had gained the right to vote. By 1910, the number of working women had risen from 2.6 million to over seven million. Women occupied positions in industries and businesses; however, the majority number of them worked as domestic servants. In politics, women had additionally gained the right to take custody of their children in case of a divorce, control their earnings, and own property.

In regards to African Americans, the turn of the century also significantly changed their socioeconomic status. Despite the many challenges all rooted in racism, for instance, segregation, murder, unequal treatment, and other kinds of assault, the economic conditions of African Americans changed dramatically. Until the late 1890s, most African Americans were concentrated in the South, but this changed when they moved out of the South on a large scale and started taking up blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Their chances of owning a home increased, and the rates of African American kids attending school rose as well.

Industrial Revolution Impacts on Women Rights Activists and African Americans

The American Industrial Revolution had very different effects on Women’s Rights Activists compared to African Americans. The revolution brought about technological advances in all fields, economic boom cycles, and vast employment opportunities came with this. These opportunities had a profound effect on the status and lives of women as large numbers of them entered the workforce. Women were able to support their families and live independently. However, for African Americans, these advances did not mean the same; in fact, they only increased slavery due to the demand for labor. According to statistics, between 1790 and 1810, approximately 100,000 slaves were deployed from the new cotton lands in the West and South.

Progressives’ influence on reforms on African Americans and Women Rights Activists

During the Progressive Era, some of the influential organizations, for instance, NACW, Niagara Movement, and NAACP helped build a stronger community of African Americans by providing housing, healthcare, and other educational services. These groups also printed newspapers showcasing the detrimental effects of the Jim Crow laws, which were ignored by mainstream newspapers. Eventually, the mainstream newspapers published these articles, making Jim Crow laws on African Americans a national initiative (Ali 2017). Lastly, the work of members of these movements, for instance, Du Bois, Washington, and Terrell, ultimately led to the Civil Rights Movement a few decades later. One of the significant reforms that happened during the Progressive Era regarding women was the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, whereby women were granted the right to vote (McDonagh et al., 1975).

References

Ch. 1 Introduction – U.S. History | OpenStax. Openstax.org. https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/1-introduction.

Ali, O. H. (2017). African Americans. A Companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 116.

McDonagh, E. L., & Price, H. D. (1985). Woman suffrage in the Progressive Era: Patterns of opposition and support in referenda voting, 1910-1918. American Political Science Review, 79(2), 415-435.

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Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, pick two (2) of the following categories representing minority groups during 1880-1914:

Women’s rights activists
African Americans
Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe
Child workers
Great Plain Indians
Then, address the following for your selections:

Explain the socio-economic status and challenges of your minority groups at the turn of the century.
How did the Industrial Revolution affect your chosen minority groups?

The socioeconomic status of Women Rights Activists and African Americans during 1880-1914

Analyze how the Progressives brought reform to your selected minority groups. Do you find that the Progressives were successful in making government responsive and improving the conditions of your chosen minority group?
Follow-Up Posts
Compare your selections and analysis of selections with those of your peers. If they chose different groups, examine how yours are similar and/or different. If they chose the same groups, build on their posts by providing additional information about the groups that you have not already noted in your own post.