How has feminism evolved, and what is the current role of feminism in

the United States?

Maya Blaisdell

Senior Project Advisor: Sara Price

Abstract

Feminism has been part of the United States since the 1800s, and has continued to evolve to fit

the current needs of women and marginalized communities. Feminism has manifested itself into

three different waves, the first focusing on voting rights, the second on respect and reproductive

rights, and the third on intersectionality. The feminist movement is responsible for the many

rights women have gained throughout history. It is the reason women are able to vote, are taken

seriously in the workplace, and have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies.

Feminism has continued to be relevant as it has begun to focus not just on women, but on

marginalized communities as whole. As long as the U.S. is a patriarchal society, feminism will

be needed.

12th Grade Humanities

Animas High School

March 4, 2018
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 Part I: Introduction

Activist and writer Audre Lorde said, “My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not

protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those

truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the

words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences” (41). Since the

beginning of the movement, feminists have refused to be silent. They have raised their voices to

advocate for the equality and acceptance of women and minorities, including people of color

and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/question (LGBTQ+) community. When

the movement started in the late 1800s, it primarily focused on advocating for women’s rights.

Over time it has evolved to movement fighting for the rights of all people regardless of gender,

race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status. Feminism has turned into an

intersectional movement dedicated to creating a safe and accepting society in the United States.

Feminism began because women were not viewed as having the same capabilities as men, they

were not seen as equal in any way. Although women are now considered contributing members

of society, and they have most of the rights that men have, feminism is still needed in the United

States. Women are still sexually harassed and assaulted daily, safe, legal abortions are becoming

increasingly hard to come by, and men are still paid more on average than women. Many of the

rights women in second wave were fighting for are what the third wave continues to fight for.

Each wave builds on the progress made by the last one, shifting how society views is an

incredibly long process, and feminism, since its beginning has been doing that. Feminism will

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continue to be relevant until women are seen as completely equal by society and through the

law.

Part II: Historical Context/Background Knowledge

Feminism in the United States, by definition, fights against the patriarchal society that has

permeated U.S. society since its founding. The United States is a patriarchal society, meaning

men hold the vast majority of the power in almost every aspect of this country. Women are

underrepresented in the government, making up only nineteen percent of congress, employers

are not legally required to give paid family leave (Dastagir), and women earn 83% of what men

make overall (Brown and Patten). Each of these examples shows the disadvantage that the

patriarchy gives women. The foundation of feminism is to dismantle the patriarchy by working

towards giving women equal opportunity to men.

There are three main waves of feminism, with the first wave starting in the 1840s, the second

wave starting in 1960s, and the third wave starting in the 1990s. Each wave is unique in the

ways the movements went about fighting for equality as well as what exactly they were fighting

for. While each wave focused on women’s rights, there were distinct differences between the

specific rights for which they fought. The first wave primarily focused on women’s right to vote

and the freedom to express themselves. The second wave focused on the right to safe, legal

abortion and equal pay for equal work. The third wave focused on rape culture, intersectionality

(the idea that “woman” may not be a person’s primary identity, they could identify more

strongly with their race, sexual orientation, or class, not necessarily their gender), and the

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equality of all people regardless of who they are. Feminism is rooted in the fight for equal rights

for women and against the patriarchy, although this is the focus of the movement as a whole,

each wave is unique in the way they went about accomplishing that. While there have been

disagreements between the leaders of the different waves, the goal is the same. The feminist

movement has evolved with the needs of women, but it always come back to the main objective,

equality. Equality, in terms of feminism, refers to equal opportunity and respect regardless of

gender, race, sexual orientation, or class, in every aspect of life including the workplace, the

home, and politics.

Part III: Research and Analysis

All three waves of feminism laid the foundation for generations of women to gain the freedom

to be who they are and to express themselves in whatever way they see fit. Women have been

systematically oppressed and disrespected by the United States since the country’s founding,

women have constantly had to fight against sexist laws and this patriarchal society.

First Wave Feminism

Feminism began in the 1800s with the women’s suffrage movement, fighting for women’s right

to vote. In the 1800s women were supposed to marry, and take care of their children and home

(Hartman). Women were supposed to find happiness from creating an orderly home, an 1884

publication titled ​The Household ​said, “​A really good housekeeper is almost always unhappy.

While she does so much for the comfort of others, she nearly ruins her own health and life. It is

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because she cannot be easy and comfortable when there is the least disorder or dirt to be seen.”

(qtd. in Hartman). Women worked themselves to the point of exhaustion every day trying to

create a perfect home while still taking care of their children. They were expected to do an

incredible amount of work everyday despite being discouraged to do “men’s work”, which was

not much more taxing than the work women were already doing.

Once married, women gave up their rights to individuality, they were considered the property of

their husbands, and had virtually no control over their lives. They had no legal control over

what happened to them or their children. Women were expected to be the sole caregivers of

their children, but had no legal power, their husbands could do whatever they wanted with the

children without consequences (Women’s History in America). Men were entitled to complete

control over their wife’s lives, and women were supposed to accept that.

Women were not supposed to make decisions, and certainly could not voice their opinions in

public. It was considered unladylike and they were not taken seriously because it was thought

that women had smaller brains than men’s (Belzer 319). Women were not seen as having the

same intellectual or physical capabilities as men. They were “forbidden to speak before mixed

audiences of men and women--such crowds were labeled ‘promiscuous audiences’” (Belzer

317). Women were controlled in every aspect of life, they were not allowed to voice their own

thoughts and they had close to no legal rights. Men held all of the power, and women were

meant to sit supportively in the background.

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Feminists believed that women should be treated equally, that they were just as capable as men.

Women needed to finally be heard, and they needed the right to convey their opinions both

through voting and speaking publicly. These ideas marked the beginning of the feminist

movement, specifically with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which was organized by

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two women who were integral members of the first

wave feminist movement. The Convention lasted for two days, and was the first convention

specifically focusing women’s rights in the United States. The purpose of this convention was

to discuss the concrete examples of what women needed in order to be equal, including legally

recognized equality to men, encouraging women to speak their minds, and that women deserve

the right to vote in elections. About two hundred people were in attendance, and it marked the

beginning of the United States feminist movement. The people who attended created the

Declaration of Sentiments which outlined the specific hardships women had faced at the hands

of men (Report of the Woman’s Rights Convention). The declaration stated, “The history of

mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman,

having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts

be submitted to a candid world” (Declaration of Sentiments). They outlined the ways in which

women were oppressed by men. This was the first document in the United States that

specifically discussed what women needed from the U.S. government to be equal.

Despite the ridicule and discrimination these women faced, they were able to have the courage

to fight back against the patriarchy. Women were disrespected and treated as second class

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citizens, and they were determined to fight for their rights as equal members of society. After

the convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote,

“[S]o pronounced was the popular voice against us, in the parlor, press, and

pulpit, that most of the ladies who had attended the convention and signed the

declaration, one by one, withdrew their names and influence and joined our

persecutors. Our friends gave us the cold shoulder and felt themselves disgraced

by the whole proceeding” (qtd in Belzer 335).

Many women felt that it was easier to continue to be treated as second class citizens instead of

risking their respectability to fight for equal rights, like voting and gaining independence. They

were afraid of what might happen to them if they chose to question the direction of society.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott were the founding mothers of the

feminist movement. All three women were abolitionists and very active in the anti-slavery

movement. Through their abolition work, they began to work together to fight for women’s

rights (Biography of Susan B. Anthony). Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized

the Seneca Falls convention where they began to nationwide conversation of women’s suffrage

(Michals). These women, through their activism laid the groundwork for the women’s rights

movement, and feminism.

While the first wave feminist movement accomplished so much, and changed how women were

seen by society, there were some issues with the movement. The most prominent issue would be

that the movement was mostly led by privileged white women. The women at the forefront of

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this movement had no way of knowing what life was like for women of color, or women who

were not as wealthy or educated. The leaders of the movement were oppressed, but not to the

extent of most of the women who lived in the United States. As these women are rightfully

celebrated for the work they did, it is crucial to remember the people who were not included in

the movement.

Second Wave Feminism

While the first wave feminist movement focused on basic equal rights, the second wave

movement focused reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work, and the respect of women.

Women had the right to vote, and they were allowed to speak, they were seen as fully human

because of the accomplishments of the first wave, but they were still not treated equally or fully

respected by men.

Before the 1960s women did not have access to birth control of any kind. If they got pregnant,

there was nothing they could legally do about it, and many women resorted to horrific and

dangerous ways to terminating a pregnancy. In 1960, the birth control pill was released, but

religious organizations fought against this, and it took a supreme court battle to finally make the

pill legal and accessible for everyone (Women’s Reproductive Rights). Abortion was also a

very contentious issue, just like today, the abortion debate caused a lot of tension nationwide. It

was legalized in 1973, and allowed women to have complete control over their bodies.

Reproductive rights is one of the foundations of feminism, and has allowed women to be truly

independent.

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The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, and it ensured that women had to be paid the same as

men. The bill stated, “​No employer having employees subject to any provisions of this section

shall discriminate, within any establishment in which such employees are employed, between

employees on the basis of sex….” (The Equal Pay Act of 1963). This made it a requirement that

women could not be paid any less than men for the same work, it gave women more freedom be

able to pursue the careers they wanted.

While most women at the time worked in order to provide for their families, but among upper

middle class and upper class women, they were expected to stay at home and be housewives.

During the second wave, there was a lot of emphasis on liberating housewives from being

trapped in their homes. In the 1960s Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique, a book about

the struggles housewives faced during that time, this struggle was described as “the problem

that has no name”, Friedan interviewed a mother of four who said:

I’ve tried everything women are supposed to do—hobbies,

gardening, pickling, canning, being very social with my

neighbors, joining committees, running PTA teas. I can do it all,

and I like it, but it doesn’t leave you anything to think about—any

feeling of who you are. I never had any career ambitions. All I

wanted was to get married and have four children. I love the kids

and Bob and my home. There’s not problems you can even put a

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 name to. But I’m desperate. I begin to feel I have no personality.

I’m a server of food and a putter-on of pants and a bedmaker,

somebody who can be called on when you want something. But

who am I? (Friedan 21).

Women felt trapped by the lifestyle they were expected to lead, and this book allowed them to

put a name to their struggles. They found empowerment through learning that they were not the

only one, there was an incredible sense of isolation among women who primarily took care of

the house and children. Activists brought to light the shared struggle of women, and gave them

the power to shift the paradigm.

There were some major flaws with second wave feminism. It was a movement mostly by and

for affluent white, straight women, and it fought for what they needed. There was a focus on

housewives, which was a small and very privileged population, they did of course have very

real struggles, but not to the extent that women of color or queer women had. Betty Friedan, an

integral member of the movement, said that lesbians were a “lavender menace” and had no

business being part of the feminist movement. This is example of outright exclusion shows that

this movement was completely focused on the interests of the leaders of the movement.

Third Wave Feminism

Third wave feminism, which began in the 1990s, is what most people would describe as the

current feminist movement. The first two waves of feminism focused on making sure women

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had fundamental rights, including the right to vote, freedom of expression, and basic respect.

The third wave movement is much more focused on intersectionality than the past movements.

Third wave feminism fights for the rights of all marginalized people, although the feminist

movement started as purely about women’s rights it has evolved to include people of color and

the LGBTQ+ community. Third wave feminism has three main issues, the right to safe, legal

abortion, ending rape culture, and intersectionality.

Roe v. Wade passed in 1973 (Roe V. Wade), but since then, states have been trying to add more

and more regulations to make it harder to access abortions. In some states it is nearly impossible

to get an abortion, something that is a legal right in the United States (Scutti). Feminists have

been fighting for this right for decades, and they will continue to fight for it until there is

adequate access.

Rape culture has always been a part of United States society, feminists have been fighting

against it since feminism began, but it is finally becoming more widely known. Rape culture is

the idea that sexual harassment and assault are common because either, women were asking for

it through their clothing and mannerisms, or men cannot be trusted to control themselves. As the

feminist movement has become more mainstream, these issues have grabbed the attention of

United States society as a whole. US society considers women to be objects, and therefore not

worthy of full respect. Feminists want to change to way women are viewed, they want women

to be seen as strong, independent, fully contributing members of society.

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Intersectionality is the foundation of the third wave feminist movement. It is the idea that

“woman” might not always be a woman’s primary identity, the intersectional feminist

movement also takes into account experiences of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and

classism as well as sexism. Through intersectionality, women are able to use their feminism to

fight for every aspect of their life, and every identity they connect with. For example, the

Women’s March focused a lot on supporting women and of color and the LGBTQ community.

They have been involved with the fight for immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, and various

LGBTQ organizations.

The feminist movement, historically, has focused mainly on middle class straight white women

because those were the people leading the past movements. The first two waves of feminism

were rooted in privilege, the movements were created for wealthy, white women, and that was

the population that was benefited. Feminism has increasingly become more inclusive of people

of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized communities. Writer and activist

Bell Hooks wrote in her book ​Feminism is for Everybody​, “Utopian visions of sisterhood based

solely on the awareness of the reality that all women were in some way victimized by male

domination were disrupted by discussions of class and race” (3). Past feminist movements put a

lot of emphasis on the fact that all women are connected because of the oppression they face

specifically from men, but in reality, many women may not feel that their oppression is

exclusively based in sexism, but that it can also be based racism, homophobia, transphobia, and

classism. Women, like all people, have complicated identities, there is not one right way to be a

woman, and the current feminist movement understands that.

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The idea that women have many identities that make up who they are and how they interact

with the world is intersectional feminism. Intersectionality “…is a set of political beliefs and

action orientations rooted in recognition that multiple grounds of identity simultaneously shape

an individual’s experience and expression of a particular social category” (Greenwood and

Christian). Feminism has become an intersectional movement because women needed a

movement by and for all women. Feminism evolved because women needed a movement that

reflected their current circumstance.

Feminism Benefits Men

The feminist movement has focused on women because the patriarchal society of the United

States negatively affected women and their rights. The patriarchy also negatively affects men,

just as women are socialized into very strictly gendered roles, men are taught from a very young

age, how they are supposed to interact. Men are taught that they have to be strong, have very

little emotion, and provide for their family. This puts an incredible amount of pressure on them,

and it can cause them to feel trapped, much like the housewives of the 1950s. Men who do not

subscribe to the specific traits men are “supposed” to have, are ridiculed, and it can cause them

to be afraid to express their true selves.

A feminist society would allow both men and women to be able to convey themselves in

whatever way they are most comfortable. Tina Philips, in her article “The Role of Men in the

Feminist Movement” said, “Men and male identified people can benefit directly

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from…feminism, since it allows them to develop full range of emotional expression and

encourages them to take on roles as caregivers to children and their families and not see their

jobs as their sole source of self-worth” (12). Feminism allows men to be able to do the jobs that

are traditionally female, and women to do the jobs that are traditionally male. When men feel

more comfortable with expressing who they are, they are more likely to be able to support

women within the feminist movement. There are a lot of misconceptions about whether or not

men can be feminists, and they absolutely can be. The patriarchy affects everyone, therefore

feminism benefits everyone.

Feminism Now and in the Future

Feminism is especially important in the current political climate in the United States. The

current White House threatens much of what the feminist movement has worked so hard to

obtain. The fact that the president has been publicly accused of sexual assault (Women demand

probe into alleged Trump sexual assaults), yet still got elected shows the importance of

feminism in this uncertain time. Many people did not believe the women who came forward and

accused Trump of these acts. The United States has become such a polarized culture, that people

were unable to see beyond their own politics.

The MeToo movement, which was started by a woman named Taran Burke, and it encouraged

women to come forward and share their stories of sexual violence as a way to act in solidarity

with the many women who have experience it (Brockes). This is part of feminism, and has

brought to light the fact that rape culture is thriving in this country. Fighting against sexual

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assault is an integral aspect of the feminist movement, and this movement is crucial to shifting

the culture in this country to one of respect and equality. Women are not, and have not been

respected in this country, and feminism is fighting for that respect, which is why the movement

is still relevant.

A common argument against feminism is that it is no longer relevant, that women are seen as

equal under the law, so there is no reason to fight for women’s rights anymore. The reality is, as

long as the U.S. is a patriarchal society, feminism will be needed. No matter how many laws

and guidelines are put in place protecting women and marginalized communities from

discrimination and disrespect, the fact that U.S. society is a patriarchy will cause privileged

groups to hold the majority of the power. The patriarchy gives power to the privileged, and the

goal of feminism is to fight against that.

Part IV: Discussion and Conclusion

The definition of feminism, like the movement, has evolved over time to meet the current needs

of women and minorities. During the first wave, women were fighting for their basic equal

rights, they did not have the time to focus on the many small ways women have been, and still

are disrespected every day. The second wave focused on the importance of respect for women

and the equal treatment of women in the workplace and in the home. There was a revolt against

the idea of housewives and women serving their husbands. The first two waves fought towards

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basic equality and respect, forging the path for third wave feminism to focus on the subtle

aspects of the sexist culture of the United States.

The United States feminist movement has gone through many evolutions, and even now, each

person has a different definition what it means. Most people’s definitions of feminism stems

from the idea that it advocates for the equality of men and women, but the movement as a whole

is up for interpretation. Many people define feminism as the equality of all people regardless of

who they are, which is a more inclusive definition that encompasses anyone who may benefit

from feminism. Feminism serves the current needs of the people, and some of those needs have

stayed the same since the beginning of the movement, but most are specific to the time.

Feminism in the United States has created a culture that is moving towards a more more

accepting and inclusive. Acceptance and inclusivity are crucial to the betterment of this country,

in order to advance as a country there needs to be a shift in who is considered leaders.

Currently, the leaders in this country are, for the most part, straight white men. Through

feminism it has been shown that this country would be stronger if there was more diversity in

leadership, and more diversity in general. When there are different kinds of people and different

opinions involved, it creates a more accepting and safe environment for everyone. Feminism in

the United States has continuously become more intersectional and inclusive. The movement

now prioritizes equality for all, not just women. There is more emphasis on human rights, and

feminists have broadened their focus to include all people who benefit from the movement.

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Women are becoming more respected in society and gaining more and more rights, the feminist

movement has realized that it is time to include everyone in the movement.

In order to continue, the feminist movement must be intersectional. Women needed a movement

that fought for their basic human rights, but now that they have them, there needs to be a focus

on the other communities who need support. Feminism is an effective means of creating

community, and that is how change is made. With each accepting community it helps create a

nationwide culture of respect and acceptance of diversity. Diversity is what makes a community

strong, and it is what will make this country strong. People need to lift each other up and

support each other through hardship. Feminism is what is needed in order to create the inclusive

environment that is crucial to the progress of the United States.

Moving forward, every single person in the United States must fight for equality. Everyone

needs to think about the kind of world they want to live in, and turn those thoughts into action.

There are so many ways people can get involved with activism, and one of the easiest and most

important actions is voting. If the people leading this country are committed to creating a

country where everyone is treated equally, it will create a society that truly values all people.

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