Women's Suffrage Movement Research Paper

“We ask only for justice and equal rights, the right to vote, the right to our own earnings, equality before the law.” Lucy Stone, late 19th century suffragist. For several centuries women have unjustly been denied equal rights and opportunities that have otherwise been granted to men. However, within the last century, the women’s suffrage movement has made immense progress in the equality. The radical changes in the rights and opportunities of women succeeding the early 1900 suffrage movement have enormously impacted society today.
One of the more popular effects of the movement was the opportunities of women in the workforce and in their daily roles. Before the revolution women were rarely, if ever, seen working outside of the household. …show more content…
Before the revolution women wore various gowns but they all had and elegant feel. This was the era of corsets and girdles. They wore heavy fabric with dull colors such as satin, velvet, lace, and beading around the trim. These styles were long in length and were specifically tailored for each individual body and body shape. These dresses were heavy and tight which made them extremely uncomfortable. Dress forms were used to make precise measurements and to keep the dresses in good condition. There were dresses for all times of day, special events, workwear and just every day wear. After the revolution, the corsets were ditched for shorter, flashier, brighter, and lighter fabrics. Clothes became more and more similar. The shapes got narrower and more tight fitting. Sportswear started to trend, comfort was something that women aimed for. The fabrics were looser and softer compared to the heavy dresses before the revolution. Before the revolution, women wore floppy large hats to go with their fancy long hair. Women spend lengths of time taking care and styling their hair. Long hair was the norm, having short hair was considered not feminine. After women started changing their styles, hair and accessories changed as well. Women slowly started cutting their hair shorter and shorter. The Bob started getting popular because it was easier to handle and took much less time to style. It was also a landmark for women and their freedom. The Bob was said to make women look smarter. Women were always ready to look smart which was one of the reasons that the revolution occurred. They wanted more out of life than just cooking and cleaning. Since women cut their hair shorter they adopted smaller tighter hats to conform to the beautifully cut