What was it like to be a woman in the 1930s?

Women's roles in 1930's America were still mostly domestic. They were typically in charge of home management and social duties, while men were usually the breadwinners. However, after the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was passed in 1920, there was a shift in women's roles.

What was the role of a woman in the 1930s?

1930s—The Great Depression

Domesticity, motherhood, and homemaking once again became regarded as the only truly proper and fulfilling roles for women. But some women still needed to work, and work they did.

What was life like during the 1930s?

As stocks continued to fall during the early 1930s, businesses failed, and unemployment rose dramatically. By 1932, one of every four workers was unemployed. Banks failed and life savings were lost, leaving many Americans destitute. With no job and no savings, thousands of Americans lost their homes.

How was life during the Great Depression as a woman?

They were often forced to take on more central roles within their homes and families--playing unrecognized roles in helping the country through the Great Depression. Or, they were working for less money than male peers and possibly being despised just for having jobs at all.

How did the 1930s woman differ from the 1920s woman?

The 1920s were the years when women were pushing boundaries like going out of their homes to work and changing social attitudes towards women, whereas the 1930s was a setback for woman, they were starting to get a formal education and began to create professional identity.

History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s

What were 3 ways that women's lives changed during the 1920s?

The decade kicked off with the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the vote. Women also joined the workforce in increasing numbers, participated actively in the nation's new mass consumer culture, and enjoyed more freedom in their personal lives.

What was life like for a woman in the 1920s?

The 1920s was a challenging time for American women. Women were expected to raise children, keep house, provide emotional support for their husbands, and in myriad ways, contribute to American society. However, during the twenties, those demands came to seem less and less compatible.

What did sexism look like in the 1930s?

Women were not seen as equal to men: they had fewer rights than men, were paid less and most of them were only allowed to take care of domestic chores.

What happened to schools in the 1930s?

School. 1930s: School was considered a luxury for low- and middle-income children. Schools were overpopulated, underfunded, and an estimated 20,000 schools in America closed. Transportation was an issue—there were no buses or cars so children had to walk often long distances.

What era was known as the Dirty Thirties?

The Dust Bowl, also known as “the Dirty Thirties,” started in 1930 and lasted for about a decade, but its long-term economic impacts on the region lingered much longer. Severe drought hit the Midwest and southern Great Plains in 1930.

Who got rich during the Great Depression?

Not everyone, however, lost money during the worst economic downturn in American history. Business titans such as William Boeing and Walter Chrysler actually grew their fortunes during the Great Depression.

What was the biggest problem in the 1930s?

At the height of the Depression in 1933, 24.9% of the nation's total work force, 12,830,000 people, were unemployed. Wage income for workers who were lucky enough to have kept their jobs fell 42.5% between 1929 and 1933. It was the worst economic disaster in American history.

What was the life of a housewife in the 1930s?

In the 1930s, homemakers were busy throughout a normal day with a whole range of tasks. This meant taking care of the family, cooking meals from scratch, cleaning all areas of the house (without any robot vacuums or dishwashers), and raising the children. There was often a need for mending clothing and linens as well.

Who was the most famous woman in the 1930s?

Katharine Hepburn

Named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star in Hollywood history. She was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years. Her breakthrough role came in 1932 with the melodrama A Bill of Divorcement, which brought her critical acclaim and made her an instant star.

How did people survive the Great Depression?

To save money, families neglected medical and dental care. Many families sought to cope by planting gardens, canning food, buying used bread, and using cardboard and cotton for shoe soles. Despite a steep decline in food prices, many families did without milk or meat.

Was school free in 1930?

During the Depression, the problems of American education rose to the surface. Although public education was free to all, the quality of schooling available in different parts of the country varied drastically. In some areas, such as the rural South, the public school system was starved for money.

What did kids do in the 30s?

Economically, many children worked both inside and outside the home; girls babysat or cleaned house, boys hustled papers or shined shoes, and both ran errands and picked crops. Yet the scarcity of jobs led record numbers of children to remain in school longer.

What age did kids start school in the 1930s?

I went to school during the depression years when times were hard and money scarce. I had one Sunday dress and a pair of shoes and two dresses for school and an everyday pair of shoes. I did not begin school until I was almost eight years old as no one began until their seventh birthday.

What was considered attractive in the 1930s?

Miss Sophomore Slip, 1933 – By the mid-1930s, the ideal female figure was small-waisted and slim-hipped to accentuate the elegant and form-fitting clothing styles. Of course, this silhouette was unrealistic for most women and was achieved with corsets, slips, and other undergarments.

What was considered beautiful in the 1930s?

Pale skin and foundations with pink undertones were in vogue. In the early 30s, light pink cheek colors were most common, but the colors got deeper as the decade progressed. The popular lip shape was an overdrawn top lip that was rounded and extended at the corners.

What year did sexism start?

According to Fred R. Shapiro, the term "sexism" was most likely coined on November 18, 1965, by Pauline M. Leet during a "Student-Faculty Forum" at Franklin and Marshall College.

Why was 1920 so important if you were a woman in the United States?

The passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920 was a time of incredible change for many. The Amendment allowed for a wave of freedoms and liberations in women's lives all over the United States.

What was it like to be a housewife in the 1920s?

Homemakers in the 1920s often felt a strong sense of responsibility for their families. They were the primary caregivers for their children and were responsible for maintaining the household budget. The family structure between a homemaker and her husband was also important.

What were women's hobbies in the 1920s?

Women were encouraged to play more lady like sports such as golf, tennis, swimming, and field hockey. Women's looks were more important to people than their accomplishments in the sport. Women began to get more freedom in sports in the 1920's.