what is the condition of women in society during the condition of women is better than what it was in the 19th century
Answers
During the 19th century the Industrial Revolution transformed life in Britain and in other countries in Europe and North America. By the end of the century life was becoming more and more comfortable for most women.
In the 19th century at least 80% of the population was working class. In order to be considered middle class you had to have at least one servant. Throughout the century 'service' was a major employer of women.
For working class women life was an endless round of hard work and drudgery. As soon as they were old enough they worked on farms and in factories. When they married and had children housework was very hard without electricity or modern cleaning agents.
Some reforms were made in the 19th century. In 1842 a law banned women and boys under 10 from working underground. In 1844 a law banned all children under 8 from working. Then in 1847 a Factory Act said that women and children could only work 10 hours a day in textile factories. In 1867 the law was extended to all factories. (A factory was defined as a place where more than 50 people were employed in a manufacturing process). An act of 1878 said women in any factories could not work more than 56 hours a week.
In the 19th century many women worked at home finishing shirts or shoes. Others made boxes or lace at home. In the Black Country in the West Midlands of England some women made chains in forges by heir homes. Married working class women often worked - they had to because many families were so poor they needed her earnings as well as her husbands.
In 1874 the first successful typewriter went on sale and the telephone was invented in 1876. These two new inventions meant more job opportunities for women. At the end of the 19th century new inventions like the typewriter and the telephone created more jobs for women.
The Family in the 19th Century
Divorce was made legal in Britain in 1857 but it was very rare in the 19th century.
In the 19th century well off women were kept busy running the household and organizing the servants. Some also helped their husband run a business.
Life became more comfortable for most women in the 19th century. James Simpson (1811-1870), who was Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University, began using chloroform for operations in 1847.
Meanwhile in the 19th century men and women practiced archery. In the late 19th century tennis, croquet and cycling were popular pastimes. Women first played at Wimbledon in 1884. Some intrepid women went mountaineering.
Women's Rights in the 19th Century
Meanwhile women gained more rights during the 19th century. In 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the USA to gain a medical degree. In Britain the first woman to qualify as a dentist was Lilian Lindsay in 1895. The first woman to qualify as an architect in Britain was Ethel Charles in 1898.
In 1869 John Stuart Mill published his book The Subjection of Women, which demanded equal rights for women. Also in 1869 women in Britain were allowed to vote in local elections.
In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to allow women to vote in national elections. Meanwhile in the USA the first womens rights convention was held at Seneca Falls in 1848. The campaign for women's rights in the USA in the 19th century was led by Susan B Anthony (1820-1906) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902).
A history of women's rights
There were many famous women in the 19th century. Two of them were Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. They reformed nursing. In the USA Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881.
Elizabeth Fry played a key role in prison reform. Mary Kingsley explored parts of Africa. Ada Lovelace was a famous mathematician. Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a famous scientist. Maria Mitchell (1818-1889) was a famous astronomer. Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) was famous gardener. On 7 September 1838 Grace Darling rowed a little boat 1 mile through a storm to rescue 5 people from a steamship that had struck rocks. She became a heroine.
There were also famous women writers in Britain in the 19th century. Among them were Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans). In 1818 Mary Shelley published her novel Frankenstein.
Women's Clothes in the 19th Century