Throughout history, women have played traditional and non-traditional roles. A new exhibit at the Trumbull Historical Society museum, Through A Woman’s Eyes, captures the essence of how women placed themselves in America’s society since the founding of the country – and how women’s educational opportunities, legal rights and economic means changed their roles over the years.
The majority of women who lived in colonial America filled their days around the hearth as wives and mothers. The American Revolution not only gave the young country independence from England; but women, too, felt a new sense of freedom. With most of the men away fighting, it was the women who were left to manage the farms or businesses.
The Civil War again brought women to the forefront through ladies’ aid societies. They prepared clothing, hospital supplies, foodstuffs and other material necessities for the soldiers on the front line. The Singer sewing machine, seen in this photo, dates back to 1860. The photo is of the Seeley family.
From the time of the Civil War until the end of the 19th century, more women had received college educations and were determined to put their knowledge to work for the ‘public good.’ It was due to this determination that many broad reform movements were launched. In this photo, a Friendship Quilt hangs on the wall. It was given to Mary Nichols by her Sunday school students at Nichols Methodist Church in 1867. Each square bears the signature of a student.
The 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was passed in 1920. The Jazz Age saw the birth of the ‘flapper,’ which empowered women to celebrate their individualities and a freedom to dress and socialize in ways they had not done publically in the past. It also saw the rise of many movements addressing women’s issues including the American Birth Control League, which would become Planned Parenthood.
“When a girl has dreams, she can do anything…” –Ad for first Barbie Doll, 1959
Faced with a crumbling economy in the 1930's, The Great Depression caused many women to be laid off and brought them back to the home front. The onset of World War II opened many different doors for women living at this time. Munition, air craft and tank manufacturers in Fairfield County hired many women for their assembly lines in the name of national defense. Other women joined the armed forces as nurses or as pilots for the the Women’s Air force Service Pilots (WASP’s). And some volunteered in the Red Cross, and wore the uniform in the photo.
Many women during the 1950's defined the ideal female role as “housekeeping and raising a family.’ And perhaps as a direct result of this role being played by women during this decade, the ‘Kitchen of Tomorrow’ was showcased. And in 1959, the Barbie doll premiered.
Women’s rights and women activists took center stage in the 1960's. As hems began to rise and an independent spirit emerged, they proclaimed their equal rights to men. They were the trailblazers who opened the doors for today’s women – the doors to government, big business, entrepreneurial endeavors and independent wealth.
Through A Women’s Eyes is the May exhibit at the Trumbull Historical Society, Huntington Turnpike, Trumbull.