Voting Rights and Birth Control

The Passing Of The 19th Amendment

The day that women won full voting rights is an obvious milestone in the fight for equality. August 26 1920 saw the 19^th Amendment passed by over three quarters of congress. It marked the end of an eighty year fight to ensure that all women were given the same basic right as men and offered the opportunity to dictate how their country will be run. It was through the work of incredible women such as Alice Paul and Susan B. Anthony that the 19^th Amendment managed to find its way through congress. On particularly interesting fact is that many of the women who fought in the suffrage movement where of Quaker faith, for example both Alice Paul and Susan B. Anthony. This explains some of the fundamental beliefs behind the movement, particularly the idea of political equality. This strongly links with the core values that lead to the initial settlement of the United States of America.

The Invention Of The Birth Control Pill

The invention of the birth control pill in 1957 and its subsequentapproval for release in 1960 was a major turning point in the empowerment of women. It came shortly after the baby boom where increasing numbers of women were being forced into a housewife lifestyle due to pregnancy. At the time female employment rates had dropped since World War 2 and many women were beginning to experience frustration at the societal restrictions that were being placed upon them. The ease of access to the pill allowed many women to be sexually active without fear of becoming trapped by an unplanned pregnancy. It is also important to recognise that this is a form of birth control that is solely controlled by the women therefore removing some of the power that men had over them.