As over two million American soldiers boarded the transport ships bound for France. More than one million American women sustained the wartime labor force. A great many jobs, which had previously been considered “man’s work,” were being filled by women, in the factory, the shipyard, and the armed forces. Women plowed the fields, fixed the cars, delivered the mail, ran the elevators and the streetcars, and even wrote the traffic tickets.
President Wilson encouraged employers to pay female workers the same wages they had paid men but few did. Even worse, when the war was over and men returned to the workforce, a great many women were fired. Other women contributed to the war effort by volunteering. They served in the Red Cross, sold liberty bonds, and planted victory gardens. Others, like Jane Addams and Carrie Chapman Catt, raised public awareness by actively demonstrating against war and militarism.
As the war dragged on, the nation began to appreciate the valuable contribution made by women in the war effort, creating a prime opportunity for a change in women's civil liberties. On January 10, 1917, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns of the National Women's Party took action. For almost a year they paraded and picketed the White House demanding passage of a constitutional amendment granting women suffrage—the right to vote. Wilson was out of office by the time the 19th amendment was ratified, but there was no doubt that the new role of women in America during World War One was a catalyst leading to the right to vote.
Society also had to come to grips with a new role for African-Americans. Like most Americans, African- Americans were divided in their opinions about the war. Many felt that African-Americans were victims of racism and should
not support a racist government.
At home, the war contributed to the large-scale
migration of more than half a million African-Americans into the industrialized
cities of the north. They provided the workforce desperately needed to produce
wartime goods. In addition, immigration into America had slowed to a trickle,
and many immigrants had returned to their native homelands, leaving more jobs
to be filled.
Despite the many women employed, companies were still short of
workers. Many African-Americans were anxious to leave the south and its pattern
of racial discrimination, low pay, and all-too-often life threatening
conditions. Between 1892 and 1919, approximately
three thousand African-Americans were killed by lynching, mainly in the south.
When
northern manufacturing companies sent recruiting agents with free railroad
tickets into the south looking
for laborers, hundreds of thousands of men and women boarded trains and headed
for cities like Chicago, New York
and Philadelphia.
Get comfortable and watch this 9 minute video on Women in WWI.
This 6 minute video about the Great Migration of African Americans during WWI.
One more 4 minute video about Alice Paul the suffragist.
Comment on the Blog today. Tell us one thing you learned from each video.
from the first video i learned that women would dress up as men to fight for there country, the second video i learned that the great migration was so violent, in the third video i learned that ladies would be so brave to risk their lives for rites,,,
ReplyDeletefrom the first video i learned that women would dress up as men to fight for there country, the second video i learned that the great migration was so violent, in the third video i learned that ladies would be so brave to risk their lives for rites,,,
ReplyDeleteI found that New Zealand gave woman the right to vote first in 1893. It was sad that African-Americans moved to the north of more opportunities but even there is discrimination even killing a African American kid swimming to the white side of the beach. I found the women picking for the right to vote was amazing, waiting in harsh conditions in rain, snow, or heat.
ReplyDeleteIn the first video I learned that women worked risking Their lives everyday, and were barely credited for their work. From the second video, I learned that African-Americans paid huge amounts for tiny houses in bad condition just because of the color of their skin. In the third video I learned how much women were willing to go through for their rights. They waited in the rain, and snow outside for hours and hours until they got their way. These videos were really sad
ReplyDeleteFrom the first video, I learned that women were sometimes called canaries because their skin was tinted yellow because they worked around sulfur. From the second video, I learned that the african americans protested in silence down the street. From the third video, I learned that Everyone thought the woman were going to give up eventually. I'm so glad they didn't. :)
ReplyDeleteThe first video facts I wanted to list are, The Russian Women Battalion of Death was a all women army. The second fact, is that between 1892 and 1919 African Americans were killed by lynching. And my last fact is that the women picketed from dawn till dusk.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma made planes.
ReplyDeleteFrom the first video I learned that women were forced to work because their husbands had died. Something I learned from the second video was that in July 1917, 49 African Americans were killed and 13 Americans were also killed. One thing I learned from the third video was that women would stand up for their rights; even in cases like harsh weather conditions and people making fun of them. That's amazing that they stood out there in rain, snow and heat. Nothing stopped them.
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting how the munition women’s skin showed a yellow tint from constant exposure to sulfur. Since Cassie already mentioned that, I was also surprised that they made 80% of Britain's weapons and shells. In the second video, I thought it was interesting that the African-Americans were content making $5 a day. Nowadays, that’s like what a kid makes in a half-hour. What was the white workers problem? I get that they’re mad because of the hiring of African-Americans, but shooting 49 blacks and even 9 whites? I can’t believe some of the racism back then. I didn’t learn anything from the third video that hasn’t been mentioned already, but I did some research and learned this. Picketing at the White House can have its consequences if not done correctly. A person could receive six months of jail time, a permanent conviction, and a $500 fine if picketing was not ‘done in a lawful order.’
ReplyDeletehttp://equalitymatters.org/blog/201110040014
from the first video i learned that the apperance of women before the war changed alot from their apparence after the war. from the second video i learned that during the war, immigration to the U.S slowed down and that alot of immigrants in the U.S went back to their home country. i also learned about the race riots in the north, and how people often died in them with alot of people injured. from the third video i learned how the women stood their ground for what they believed in even through horrible weather conditions.
ReplyDeleteFrom the first video, I learned a ton! But something that was really cool to me was that a group of woman started the W.R.A.F. (woman's Royal Air Force group). And that they played the roles of spies. How cool! From video number 2 i learned the astonishing fact that nearly 3,000 African/Americans were killed JUST my lynching in only a few years. And finally, video number three. I learned that although many people doubted the woman, some even saying and expecting that they would give up, but they didn't even when they had true reasons to. That was encouraging!
ReplyDeleteGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I wrote this whole long comment and hit the backspace button to change a word in it took me back a PAGE which of course erased my ENTIRE COMMENT! Sigh.*
ReplyDeleteIn the first video I learned that women were sometimes spies, and also that some women were drafted into the industry.
In the second video I learned that in the north African-Americans could earn a LOT more money working than they could in the south!
In the third video I learned that women stood outside the white house in all weather conditions for the right to vote and such.
in the first video i learned that some women had yellow tinted skin from working with sulfur
ReplyDeletein the second video i learned that African-Americans took on entrepreneurship to get better pay
in the third video i learned that the women stayed outside the white house no matter what the weather was like
1. in the first video I learned that some women had to work with poisonous substances, and some worked in highly dangerous places.
ReplyDelete2. in the second video I learned that there were some riots in the north caused by racism, and that 49 African-Americans died and only 9 White Americans died in one of the riots.
3. in the third video I learned that no one could accuse any of the women who stood outside the white house of doing anything illegal.
I learned in the first video that some women could sneak into the navy and how 2 million women replaced men in normal jobs.
ReplyDeleteIn the second video I found out how desperate the African-Americans were to leave the south. But it makes sense now that I think about it. I bet many of them were terrified of lynching.
In the third video I thought it was funny how they did not know what to do about the women with signs. And how brave they were to go up against the president.