A Woman's Century: From Suffrage to the Pill: From Suffrage to the Pill

Author: Deborah G. Felder
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: This book provides an overview of the revolutionary changes in women's social, economic, and political status throughout the 20th century. From the actively supportive suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, the leader of the women's labor movement Rose Schneiderman, to the controversial author of The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan, countless women made relentless efforts for their liberation. Electric washing machines, childbirth anesthesia, sulfonamide preparations to prevent postpartum deaths, birth control pills—advances in technology and medicine helped women break free from physiological limitations. From the formal ratification of the 19th Amendment by Congress, granting women the right to vote, to the Supreme Court's ruling on sexual harassment, women's rights have garnered increasing attention. The book highlights a group of brave and visionary women who fought for women's freedom and equality, while also mentioning a series of new medical and technological discoveries. It includes groundbreaking legislative events and Supreme Court rulings, without overlooking the often conflicting cultural forces. This is an important historical book that showcases an awe-inspiring past, an embraceable future, and a century of brilliant achievements woven throughout.