How Did Women's Rights Change Throughout The 19th Century

Throughout the 19th century, several specific ethnic groups faced discrimination in the United States. Both women and American Indians were suppressed in many ways. How they reacted and responded to this discrimination also changed by the beginning of the 20th century. Not only were women held back by society’s expectations of them, they were also limited in economic opportunities, since women were expected to devote themselves to the family; being a respectable mother and wife was the social norm during this time period. As for American Indians, they were significantly wronged by both the American people and the American Government. They were placed in small reservations, which continued to get smaller and smaller as the American Government went back on many of the treaties that were signed. Delving deeper into the issues that women had to face in the 1800’s, many improvements …show more content…
The 19th century saw the first effective fight against gender discrimination. With the passage of a Wyoming Law that gave women the right of suffrage and to serve on juries in 1869, women began to realize that they were entitled to certain rights that have been denied to them. Advocates such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, who challenged gender boundaries, helped further the women’s right’s movement. Florence Kelley worked for women’s equality in the workforce, since it became much more common for women to get jobs in urban areas. Several laws were passed that greatly aided in the equality of women; for example, a woman could sue her husband or own property. With the assimilation of women into the labor force, multiple laws were passed with the purpose of providing them with benefits. Women also began to receive educational opportunities, which helped them with learning how to fight for women’s rights. The first women’s rights