The document discusses the exclusion of women from the American Dream throughout history. It describes how traditionally women were expected to be caretakers and pass down cultural traditions, while being denied rights like property ownership and voting. A few key figures who advocated for women's rights are mentioned, like Abigail Adams and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Major milestones in the fight for women's suffrage and equality are summarized, from the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to the 19th amendment granting women's right to vote in 1920. The document outlines some of the continuing barriers women faced and laws passed from the 1960s on to prohibit discrimination and expand women's rights.

1. The American
Dream
Keiser University eCampus

2. Week 2
Struggle for Inclusion:
Women and Members of the LBGTQ
Community

3. Exclusion from the American Dream
From the birth of the United States, certain groups have been barred from
the American Dream because of their physical characteristics. The right to
life, liberty, and the pursuit have been denied to them regardless of laws
existing to guarantee them these rights.
• Women
• Members of the LGBTQ Community
• Native Americans
• African Americans
There are others who fall into this category as well (Muslim Americans, Asian
Americans, Mexican Americans, etc.), but we will focus on the groups above
over the next two weeks. We’ll begin with women and members of the
LGBTQ community.

4. Exclusion from the American Dream
Traditionally, women were known as the “keepers of culture.” Women were
responsible for teaching children about the values and traditions of their
culture. In a patriarchal society, men are the providers and women are the
caretakers. Women passed cultural traditions from one generation to the
next.
This idea is reflected in literature dating back ancient times. In his play
Seven Against Thebes, written in 467 BCE, the Greek playwright
Aeschylus wrote, “Let women stay at home and hold their peace.”
This idea reflected in early America. Early American women’s writings
were characterized by sentimentality and morality and used as
documentation of values or for education.

5. Exclusion from the American Dream
In America, women were limited in their ability to own property and were not
allowed to vote. Women were seen as housewives and not much more.
Most received very little education.
Not everyone agreed with this idea.
Abigail Adams (1744-1818), the wife of John Adams
and mother to John Quincy Adams, advocated for girls
to be educated the same as boys. Additionally, in
correspondence to her husband around the time of the
Second Continental Congress in 1774, she urged her
husband to include women’s rights in the call for
independence. She was not successful, as is evident
in the wording of the Declaration of Independence.
First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams. The National First Lady’s Library. Retrieved from
http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=2

6. Exclusion from the American Dream
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution focused on men and
men’s rights. Women were excluded. The Declaration of Independence
asserts:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton
challenged this idea with her
“Declaration of Sentiments and
Resolutions,” delivered at the
Women’s Rights convention held in
Seneca Falls, New York.

7. Exclusion from the American Dream
Issues such as racial and gender inequality began to surface in women’s
writing. Women began to seek inclusion and equal access, and themes of
inequality and societal expectations became more prominent as women
writers began to stray away from women’s traditional purpose of writing.
Instead of documenting culture, many began shape culture by advocating
for social change. One notable example is Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Stowe was an abolitionist. She read various case histories about slavery
and wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in response. The novel is famous for its
abolitionist message and worldwide influence. It became an instant best-
seller worldwide and was translated to more than 40 languages. Her work
is a powerful example of how literature can influence social policy.
"I wrote what I did because as a woman, as a mother, I
was oppressed and broken-hearted with the sorrows
and injustice I saw, because as a Christian I felt the
dishonor to Christianity - because as a lover of my
county, I trembled at the coming day of wrath."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe

8. Exclusion from the American Dream
The first Women’s
Rights Convention was
held in 1841 in Seneca
Falls, New York.
The purpose of the convention was to strategize on how to
achieve suffrage for women nationwide.
Suffrage =
The right to vote

9. Exclusion from the American Dream
Wyoming was the first territory of the US to pass a women’s suffrage law
in 1869, but, in other places, women were prevented from voting.
In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested
and convicted for unlawful voting in New
York.
In 1874, the Supreme Court ruled that the
Missouri law limiting the right to vote to
men was constitutional. Individual states
were allowed to grant or deny women the
right to vote.

10. Exclusion from the American Dream
In 1916, Jeannette Rankin was the
first women elected to the US House
of Representatives.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment to
the Constitution was ratified,
granting women the right to
vote.

11. Exclusion from the American Dream
A woman’s place was still commonly
thought to be “in the home.” World War II
had some effect on that. In 1941, women
made up roughly 1/4 of the American
workforce. By the end of the war in 1946,
women made up about 1/3. After the end
of the war, women were expected to give
up their jobs to the men returning home.
Many women, needing to work, were
forced to return to lower-paying jobs.
Although women gained the right to vote, they faced many other issues
related to their gender.
Did you know?
“Rosie the Riveter,” shown in this poster, was part of a government
campaign to recruit women to work in the munitions industry.

12. Exclusion from the American Dream
1961: the first birth-control pill was approved by the FDA and was made
available, paving the way for women to gain more freedom in their
reproductive rights.
1963: the Equal Pay Act becomes federal law. It requires all employers to
give equal pay for the same job responsibilities, regardless of race, color,
religion, national origin, or sex.
1964: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is passed. It protects against
employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin,
or sex.
1972: Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in all aspects of education programs
receiving federal support.

13. Exclusion from the American Dream
1963: Roe v. Wade declares that the Constitution protects women’s rights to
terminate an early pregnancy. Abortion becomes legal.
1981: The US Supreme Court rules that excluding women from the military
draft is constitutional.
1993: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) goes into effect.
1997: The Supreme Court adds to Title IX, ruling that college athletics
programs must actively involve roughly equal numbers of men and women to
qualify for federal support.
2005: Condoleezza Rice becomes the first black female Secretary of State.
2007: Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the House.
2013: The ban against women in military combat positions is removed.

14. Exclusion from the American Dream
What obstacles remain for women to have full access to the American
Dream? Are they social, ethnic, religious, or legal obstacles?