ESSAY – Hollitz Chapter 12 Gender, Ideology, and Historical Change: Explaining the Womens Movement

The women’s  movement is a complex and continuous element of the country’s history. Women (Abigail Adams, Esther Reed, Judith Sargent Murray) in the American Revolution advocated for women’s rights in the foundation of the country. But, the role of women in US society has followed a patriarchal and religious line. Women’s role had and has been defined as domestic and subordinate to the man. World War II (WW II) changed that notion by placing the women in the workforce to support the nation’s war effort. Women were a valuable part of winning the war. But after the war, they were pushed back to a domestic life and marginalized in US businesses. The 60’s and 70’s brought a new generation to the foreground and many barriers to equity and equality would be challenged.

Question (from the Hollitz text, under Investigation):

What do the sources reveal about the major goals of the womens movement and the most important factors limiting their attainment? How Mays and Echols explanations for the limits of the womens movement differ?
Your paper should be in essay format – intro, body, and conclusion. It should be 2-3 pages in length.