Toward the end of the nineteenth century, women’s lives were generally restricted to keeping their homes in order and raising their children to be good citizens.  But as new inventions lightened their work load, women began to expand their role outside the home to keeping society in order and improving the lives of all children.  They worked through women’s clubs, religious organizations, the YWCA, settlement houses, and by influencing politicians to change the lives of many Americans.

While many women’s clubs were begun for self-improvement and education, they always included activities to help others, by raising money or sewing for the poor.  Working through their religious organizations or the YWCA, women could improve local conditions by teaching classes, collecting clothing, or fundraising.  Settlement houses operated in poor and immigrant neighborhoods and offered day care and kindergartens, health care, English and citizenship classes, clubs for children and adults, libraries, and help with the naturalization process and translations.

Although women couldn’t vote until 1920, they influenced politicians to improve access to clean water in poor neighborhoods, began public health programs for women and babies, and worked to change laws about women’s and children’s working conditions.  They also worked for women’s suffrage so that women could vote and directly change laws.

How would you like to improve society?  What kind of organization would you start to do it?  What laws do you think should be changed?  To learn more about the history of our Valley, visit the Arms Family Museum of Local History, or www.mahoninghistory.org. Under Education, click on ‘What Do You Know’ for a list of articles.  Each article has small images you can click on to enlarge or download a file.