Shortly after World War I (1914-1918) ended, trade unions were concerned that men returning from the war would have to accept lower wages since many women had filled their jobs during the conflict [3]. Their concern proved to be overstated, but it remained relevant when the United States entered the World War II at the end of 1941. During the war, there was a sudden upsurge in industrial production...
“All day long whether rain or shine, she’s part of an assembly line, she’s making history, working for victory!” For the first time, in 1942, women were making history while being recognized for it, by working in the factories keeping our nation running strong, without skipping a beat, while the men were fighting World War II. Propaganda was used to influence women to join the workforce. ...
Eliza Jane Cate was an unmarried woman who worked in the Lowell mills for several years and contributed a great number of moralistic essays to the New England Offering during the late 1840’s. Although Cates essays in the Offering were fictional, Cate presented realistic morals and views based on her experiences in the Lowell factories. She begins her essay “Duties and Rights of Mill Girls” with...
The strong, modern women of the 1940's no longer desired the wasp waist corsets of previous generations. The new breed of woman wanted practicality. Hence, the advertisements of the time did not dwell heavily on waist reduction or social expectations, rather, the emphasis focused more on health issues. An example from Ladies Home Journal published in the February 1943 issue for Spencer Supports...