Amelia Earhart: An Aviator and a Feminist “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others”, wrote Amelia Earhart in a letter to her husband as she prepared for her greatest challenge, a solo trip around the world (Edwins). Known as one of the most brilliant female aviators of the 1920’s and 30’s, Amelia Mary Earhart emerged as one of the most independent and powerful feminists of the time. By encouraging women to hold fast to their beliefs, follow their hearts, and always dare to dream, she remained a major stimulus for womankind. She simply believed in the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. With her
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Even as a young girl, Earhart started developing the mindset that girls should be allowed to do anything a boy would be allowed to do (Edwins). Although she was a tomboy who didn’t generally do “girly” things, she kept a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings about great women of the time, for women were beginning to enter careers that were predominantly for men only (Glines). Struggles in her early family life may have contributed to her feminist mentality as well. Her father, Edwin Earhart, who battled a drinking problem, also struggled to establish his career and support his family financially. Her parents had an unstable marriage and they eventually divorced. This fueled her desire to one day be an independent woman and not have to rely on a man to take care of her (Edwins). In fact, Earhart was known for being a hardworker, “Amelia was known for being a woman of 28 jobs and [who] hoped to have 228 more” (Amelia Earhart: The …show more content…
As a little girl in 1908, Earhart saw her first airplane at a state fair and wasn’t impressed with what she saw (Lovell 14). But at an airplane show in 1920, she took her first plane ride and from that day on she knew she had to fly (Glines). Amelia dropped out of school to work as a nurse’s aide during World War I. During this time she collected enough money for flying lessons and she purchased her first plane which she named “Canary” (Glines). With the help of her husband George P. Putnam, a publicist with great management skills, Earhart grew more popular and her life became more busy as she flew to various locations where she spoke publicly about women’s flying (Glines). She used her advantage of being an official in the National Aeronautic Association to increase opportunities for women in aviation (Lovell 49). All in all, her most significant contributions to the field of aviation were: leading the international organization of women pilots called the Ninety Nines (Glines), becoming the first woman to receive a National Geographic Society gold medal, as well as becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (Lovell), and most importantly, strengthening the feminist movement by working tirelessly for women’s rights and equal opportunities in
Even as a young girl, Earhart started developing the mindset that girls should be allowed to do anything a boy would be allowed to do (Edwins). Although she was a tomboy who didn’t generally do “girly” things, she kept a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings about great women of the time, for women were beginning to enter careers that were predominantly for men only (Glines). Struggles in her early family life may have contributed to her feminist mentality as well. Her father, Edwin Earhart, who battled a drinking problem, also struggled to establish his career and support his family financially. Her parents had an unstable marriage and they eventually divorced. This fueled her desire to one day be an independent woman and not have to rely on a man to take care of her (Edwins). In fact, Earhart was known for being a hardworker, “Amelia was known for being a woman of 28 jobs and [who] hoped to have 228 more” (Amelia Earhart: The …show more content…
As a little girl in 1908, Earhart saw her first airplane at a state fair and wasn’t impressed with what she saw (Lovell 14). But at an airplane show in 1920, she took her first plane ride and from that day on she knew she had to fly (Glines). Amelia dropped out of school to work as a nurse’s aide during World War I. During this time she collected enough money for flying lessons and she purchased her first plane which she named “Canary” (Glines). With the help of her husband George P. Putnam, a publicist with great management skills, Earhart grew more popular and her life became more busy as she flew to various locations where she spoke publicly about women’s flying (Glines). She used her advantage of being an official in the National Aeronautic Association to increase opportunities for women in aviation (Lovell 49). All in all, her most significant contributions to the field of aviation were: leading the international organization of women pilots called the Ninety Nines (Glines), becoming the first woman to receive a National Geographic Society gold medal, as well as becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (Lovell), and most importantly, strengthening the feminist movement by working tirelessly for women’s rights and equal opportunities in