The Negative Connotation Of Women In The 1920's

The term feminist is seen with a negative connotation because people use it as an insult against women in an effort to make them seem irrational and unfair, but in reality it is the exact opposite of that. Feminism is defined as the “belief in or advocacy of women’s social, political, and economic rights, especially with regard to equality of the sexes.” (Feminism). There is no reason that there should be a negative connotation to this belief or participation in advancing this belief, yet there is. This battle and struggle for equal rights has been going on for a very long time, but it really took off in the 1920s. The 19th amendment and The New Woman really helps to show how quickly women and their rights progressed in the United States. Many

major battles have already been won; women hold many high office positions, they can vote, go to school, and so much more, but there are still some areas where women are not equal. These historical events had a huge impact on everyone in our nation and gave hope and momentum to other women to continue advancing their rights. These lessons need to be taught, so women understand why it is important to exercise their individual rights every single day.
On August 18, 1920 the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified.

This amendment gave women the right to vote, it reads, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of sex.” (U.S.). In addition to the passing of the 19th amendment the evolution of music, the makeup and clothing industries, and prohibition in the 1920s made The New Woman concept happen and explode to be as prominent as it did. The New Woman was a concept adapted in the 1920s that showed women in a completely new and different light than people were used to. Most of it revolved around the idea and concept that women were not and did not want to be as pure as they were expected to be. Many of the new things that women did and tried were found to be sexually suggested and frowned upon by previous

generations.
Moving away from legislation and back into the 1920s, when jazz and scat started to become popular it was called the devils music. Jazz was very different and not seen to be traditional because of its very fast paced tempo, which was then interpreted to be sexy and promiscuous. Women started to dance differently and more because of this fast paced music. While dancing women drew a lot of attention to their knees in their new shorter dresses. The fast music and revealed skin was seen as promiscuous and scandalous, which made women more sexually suggestive than ever.
Another way that women really changed was with the way they presented their appearance. Clothing changed a lot and the makeup industry started during the 1920s that really helped to develop The New Woman. Before the 1920s women wore very conservative in the ways that they dressed, they made sure to keep their arms and legs covered and wore white in order to show that they were pure. This idea came from the concept that a woman’s body was only for her husband and that women should and would be pure and unseen before their wedding night. During the 1920s this changed a great deal. Women started to wear short sleeve shirts with lower cut necklines instead of long sleeve shirts and turtle necks designed to hide their body.
Before makeup was something that women could easily buy in stores they used household items, like jelly beans, in order to alter their appearance. Women used the jelly beans to stain their lips red before lipstick became easily accessible. The appearance of red lips on a woman were meant to look like they were sexually aroused and to be sexually suggestive. One of the problems with using jelly beans was that women could only get them around Easter, but that changed when companies started making their own makeup and selling it to women who wanted it. Although, not everyone liked the idea of makeup and the companies that were giving a product to change the way someone looked. Some associated makeup to prostitutes that were trying to pass themselves off as classy while others believed it was used to trick men into marriage and to hide their social status. (People).
Prohibition started right before the 1920’s, but lasted throughout the entire decade and although it was illegal to make, sell, and distribute alcoholic beverages, it was not illegal to consume them. Women in the 1920s started to smoke and drink when they found a speakeasy. It was very controversial for a woman to smoke out in public though because of how sexually suggestive it was in that time. Drawing attention to their mouth with red lipstick and then cigarettes was very scandalous.
This scandalous behavior may seem like it did not do much for women, but it did.

The New Woman movement helped to show everyone in our nation, including women, that women did not have to be perfect for men. This movement showed that a woman may wear makeup and short sleeved shirts if she liked without being seen as scandalous. That she may dance and have a good time without being looked down upon. This movement paved the way for feminists to show that women were a man’s equal, not above and certainly not below. Historical events and movements like The New Woman must be taught in school to show exactly why it is important not to treat our rights for granted, because they were not always our rights. Women should pursue high positions in their line of work because they are now able to, women should vote because they have only been able to for less than one hundred year. These are the things that women would not take the time to reflect upon and appreciate if they were not taught how hard their ancestors had to work for it and how much scrutiny they received for working towards

it.