World War II paving the way for feminism 

The women’s rights movement achieved success throughout the 20^th Century. Throughout the 19^th century women pushed and fought aggressively for equality with men. Women had little to no rights. A married woman’s status was based on her husband. A single woman’s status was based on the wealth of her fathers. Men defined a woman’s place in society. “In 1900 women’s legal standing was fundamentally governed by their marital status. They had very few rights. A married woman had no separate legal identity from that of her husband” ("Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century").

Men of the house worked in factories or in a family business; they did the “skilled” work. The women of the houses were seen as maids to their husbands, teachers to their children, and a gardener for the crops. The unmarried women, who worked side by side with men, were paid less, which created great financial hardship for them. Women’s work wage was not kept on an official file in order to keep the perspective of female work ethic low and so the male's would appear greater. Work days for women were very challenging and long with the pay cut shorter than the men's. Women weren’t allowed to own property or serve on the jury; they were treated like they were invisible and useless. “She had no right to own property in her own name or to pursue a career of her choice. Women could not vote, serve on juries, or hold public office. According to the Supreme Court, they were not “persons” under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law” ("Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century").