In one of the major revolutions of the twentieth century, American women demanded equal rights and access to the political, social, and economic arenas. Tired of being treated as second-class citizens, American women waged strategic warfare on the gender segregated institutions, unfair employment practices, sexual objectification of women and a host of other areas in which women did not have the same rights and privileges as men. Perhaps the biggest battleground, and the war still wages on, was reproductive rights and abortion. The controversy of Roe v. Wade continues to make abortion a contemporary political, social and moral issue. Ourselves, Our Bodies: The Feminist Movement and the Battle over Abortion would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture, Women’s History, Ethics and Civics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES

Students will examine the history and controversy of the feminist movement in America. They will consider how to read controversy, how to frame debates, and the effects of gender on American social and political history. They will also analyze the use of first-person accounts and the use of primary resources, specifically the media, in the construction of the historical narrative.

NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR U.S. HISTORY

Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issues-analysis and decision-making for Eras 9 and 10.

• alleviate
• cauldron
• divisive
• espouse
• harassment
• oppression
• prestigious
• reactionary
• recruit
• rhetoric
• sanction
• thalidomide

1. The Women’s Movement has been called “the child of the Civil Rights Movement.” Why is the Women’s Movement considered to be the offspring of the Civil Rights Movement?

2. The controversy over abortion still rages across America today. Why is abortion such a controversial topic?

3. In 1963, Betty Freidan published her best-selling book, The Feminine Mystique. How did Freidan’s book affect America, and American women in particular? Why was her book so successful?

4. In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, conscious raising groups were popular among emerging feminists. What were these groups and how did they work? Why were they so appealing to American women?

5. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is still not a part of the American Constitution. What is the history of the ERA? Why has it never been passed?

6. Many men in the 1960s and the 1970s expressed concern, and some hostility, regarding the Women’s Movement. Why would men be upset about a movement to grant equal economic, political and social rights to women?

7. One of the aims of the Women’s Movement was to have more women in government. Why do women feel it is necessary to have women in government?

8. One of the successes of the Women’s Movement has been the increasing economic power of women. How has this recently gained economic power translated into political power or clout?

9. How have women’s roles changed over the course of the twentieth century?

1. Create a timeline that illustrates the changes in the lives of American women during the twentieth century.

2. Research the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade and the American response to that landmark decision.

Related Videos