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Late Victorianism & Early 20th Century: The Push for Civil RightsDanika RockettUniversity of BaltimoreSummer 2010Todays ReadingsKate Chopin The Awakening excerptVirginia Woolf A Room of Ones Own excerptAlice Duer Miller Our Idea of Nothing at All, Home and Where It Is

Chris Willis Heaven Defend Me from Political or highly-educated women!: Packaging the New Woman for Mass Consumption

Kate ChopinThe Awakening (1899)Louisiana Creole backgroundForerunner of 20th century feminist writingThe Awakening focuses on the confines of domestic life for womenDesirees Baby looks at racism in the SouthShe wrote as a way of coping with depression after her husband died

Virginia WoolfA Room of Ones Own (1929)An essay based on a series of lecturesA woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.Judith (Shakespeares sister)UneducatedTrapped at homeForced into marriage via beating and humiliationCriticized by Alice Walker for excluding women of color.

Alice Duer MillerOur Idea of Nothing at All & Home and Where It Is

Are Women People? (1915)Come Out of the Kitchen (1916)Women Are People! (1917)Famous suffragistWrote satirical poemsHer writing had a significant effect on American public opinionThe New Woman

There was a New Woman, as Ive heard tell,And she rode a bike with a horrible bell,She rode a bike in a masculine way,And she had a spill on the Queens HighwayThe New WomanAs New Woman she is knownTis her enemies have baptised herBut she gladly claims the name;Hers it is to make a glory,What was meant should be a shame

The New Woman in Fiction*1883 1900: More than 100 New Woman novelsNew Women were stereotypedUnnattractive AsexualGirton Girls and BluestockingsAvid Bicyclists

*See todays reading by Chris Willis

The New Woman in FactDescendants of Mary Wollstonecraft1851 1901: Women in the workforce increased from 2.8 million to 4.7 millionteachers, nurses, clerks, Post Office*1867: National Society for Womens SuffrageNew Women, and those who campaigned for womens rights, were often considered sick (see Willis 63)

Womens Suffrage in Britain1832 Reform Acts: Women officially cant vote1865: John Stuart Mill elected to Parliament Suffragettes were imprisoned and force-fedThis shocked the British public1903: Emmeline Pankhurst formed Womens Social and Political Union1918 Qualification of Women Act: 30 and older1928 Representation of the People Act: 21 and olderWomens Suffrage in the U.S.Iron Jawed Angels (2004)

Important Issues in This FilmUnited States and suffrageIndividual states could allow the vote, but no Constitutional Amendment existedWyoming was first to allow womens suffrageThe 19th Amendment passed in 1920

Negative Stereotypes of Suffragettes and New WomenCarrie Nation was a famous 19th century American woman who opposed the sale of alcoholHad a reputation for vandalizing establishments that sold alcoholHer image was used as an icon for feminists

Described herself as a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus, barking at what He doesn't likeNAWSA NWPNational American Womens Suffrage AssociationTypically favored DemocratsNotable leadersSusan B Anthony (1890 1900)Carrie Chapman Catt (1900 1904, 1915)Anna Howard Shaw (1904 1915)

National Womens PartyDid not align itself politically Founded by Alice Paul in 1916

Quakerism This is the religion that Alice Paul belonged to.Throughout the 19th century, Quakers advocated to effect reforms first within their religion and then in the wider arena of American politics:Ending SlaveryFair Treatment of Native AmericansWomen's RightsConflict ResolutionRelief for All Who Suffer

National Womens Party demonstrating in Washington D.C., 1917

Alice Paul1885 1977 Had Ph.D. from U of PAFounded NWPOriginal author of proposed Equal Rights Amendment of 1923Her home is now the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum in D.C.

Lucy Burns1879 - 1966With Alice Paul, she helped form the NWPOne of the first women to attend YaleHer activism was inspired by Emmeline Pankhurst

Inez Millholand1886 - 1916

Suffered from Pernicious AnemiaSuddenly collapsed during a speech. Her last public words were, "Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?"[1]Known as the martyr of the Women's Suffrage movement.

Ida Wells-Barnett1862 - 1931Journalist, newspaper editor, activistExposed racial hate crimes in the SouthFounded the National Afro-American Council, which later became the NAACPFormed the Women's Era Club, the first civic organization for African-American women