29
The New Woman
An excited young lady ran to
her friend shouting, “We did it!”
On August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth
Amendment, giving women the right
to vote, was passed. “Our battle is
over!” she cried.
During World War I, American
men were overseas fighting. Women
were left to do their work. Before
this, some people didn’t think that
Women casting their votes in New York City.
women were equal to men. Women
were only meant to be mothers
and keepers of the home. Men were supposed to do the practical things of
the world. However, for many years women had worked in education, social
work, nursing, and other areas. Now, more than ever, women wanted to be
equal and have freedom to vote.
The “new woman” of the Twenties wanted more than just the freedom
to vote. She wanted the freedom to choose any career. She also wanted
the freedom to wear make-up and skirts showing her knees, and she wanted
to cut her hair short. In the Twenties, the “flapper” with her bare knees and
painted lips was admired. She was a symbol of a change in women.
Other women were also making a name for themselves as role models.
Many young women looked up to Gertrude Ederle, who swam the English
Channel faster than any man ever had. Amelia Earhart was admired for
being the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean.
In the 1920s, the “new woman” was emerging. The right to vote gave
women more than freedom of choice. The ballot gave women a feeling of
dignity, pride, and equality among men.
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Highlights in American History
Name______________________________________________
29A
Use complete sentences to answer the questions below.
1. Write the sentence that tells about the Nineteenth Amendment.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Write the sentence in paragraph two that tells what women did while
the men were at war.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Write the two sentences in paragraph three that tells what many women
wanted.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Write the sentence in the last paragraph that tells what the ballot gave
women.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Write two or more sentences about the “new woman”.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Highlights in American History
Name______________________________________________
29B
Complete the story using the words from the word list below.
bare
equal
Nineteenth
practical
dignity
lady
overseas
vote
An excited young ____________________________ ran to her friend
shouting, “We did it!” On August 26, 1920, the ____________________________
Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was passed. “Our battle is
over!” she cried.
During World War I, American men were ____________________________
fighting. Women were left to do their work. Before this, some people didn’t
think that women were ____________________________ to men. Women were
only meant to be mothers and keepers of the home. Men were supposed to
do the ____________________________ things of the world. However, for many
years women had worked in education, social work, nursing, and other areas.
Now, more than ever, women wanted to be equal and have freedom to
____________________________.
The “new woman” of the Twenties wanted more than just the
freedom to vote. She wanted the freedom to choose any career. She
also wanted the freedom to wear make-up and skirts showing her knees,
and she wanted cut her hair short. In the Twenties, the “flapper” with her
____________________________ knees and painted lips was admired. She was
a symbol of a change in women.
Other women were also making a name for themselves as role models.
Many young women looked up to Gertrude Ederle, who swam the English
Channel faster than any man before her. Amelia Earhart was admired for
being the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean.
In the 1920s, the “new woman” was emerging. The right to vote gave
women more than freedom of choice. The ballot gave women a feeling of
____________________________, pride, and equality among men.
©Remedia Publications
115
Highlights in American History
Name______________________________________________
29C
Use complete sentences to answer the questions below. Use a separate sheet
of paper, if you need more space for your answers.
Locate information
1. What was the argument in favor of men voting?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Analyze
2. Was this a good argument to continue keeping women from voting?
Support your answer with information from the passage.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Main idea
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Compare/contrast
4. What is alike and different about the jobs that women had in the 1920s
and the jobs they have today?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Use context to derive meaning
5. What does “dignity” mean?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
©Remedia Publications
116
Highlights in American History