Jordan Khan

April 13, 2016

Mrs. Chorlton
CHC2D1 - 06

1920s History Essay

One of the few good things that came out of World War I was that
women took a step
closer to equality with men by proving themselves in the workforce and
fighting for rights. This
progress continued after the war in the 1920s. Women became bolder in
their behavior and
attire. Many were very successful in popular culture, and were good role
models for all women.
The fight for rights went on and women gained better control of politics. The
1920s were a time
of great change for women because they were more rebellious and free in
what they wore and
the activities they did, they achieved a greater role in popular culture, and
gained additional
rights.

The 1920s were a time of great change for women because they
dressed and acted in
bold and modern ways. Young women wore short, shapeless dresses rather
than the traditional
long dresses that they were expected to wear (Fashion). This shows that
women were able to
break the rules of fashion and experience independence in society. They
began to involve
themselves in many activities that were more associated with men at the
time such as smoking

cigarettes which was unacceptable for women before that (Mallah). Women
were able to do
what they wanted in the community, and had gained further quality with
men. These women
were known as Flappers because they danced the Charleston which was
an energetic dance
involving bird-like movements (Charleston). This style of dancing represented
this newfound
independence in women, and proved that people identified that there was a
prosperous
change in women. Since women started to dress in a bolder way and
behaved more
independently, the 1920s brought a very positive change for women.
The 1920s were a time of great change for women because they were
in the spotlight of
the public eye. Silent films became a huge thing in the 1920s and with it
female stars such as
Mary Pickford who created a movie company with Charlie Chaplin called
United Artists
(Whitfield). This shows that women were able to become famous figures in
the movie industry
just like men, and were able to represent and inspire women. Though not a
member, Emily
Carr, a famous Canadian painter, associated with the Group of Seven and
created amazing
paintings inspired by indigenous peoples such as the Indian Church (Doris
Shadbolt). She used
her talent to show that women could have just as good or better artistic
abilities as men. The
Edmonton Grads were a womens basketball team who won 93% of their
games over their 25
year history (MacDonald). This teamshowed that women could be very
successful in

competitive and proved that sports arent just for men. Women
demonstrating their talent to
the public in the 1920s helped to bring a great change to the view of women.

The 1920s were a time of great change for women because they
progressed in their fight
for rights. The need to pass conscription during the war gave many more
women the right to
vote in the 1920s (Anderson). This allowed the voice of women to be heard
more equally to
that of men. Women were also able to serve as members of parliament, but
couldnt become
senators (Anderson). This shows that women took a big stride towards
equality as more jobs
became available, as well positions of power. The Famous Five, a group of
female activists led
by Emily Murphy, decided to fight to gain the right for women to become
senators after they
werent considered persons (Marshall and Cruickshank). They were able to
succeed when
they brought the argument to Britain, bringing further equality for women.
With the aid of
activists and the needs of the recent war, womens lives changed for the
better in the 1920s as
they gained more and more equality.

Women took huge steps towards equality and independence in the

1920s by being bolder
in what they wore and how they acted, by being very involved in popular
culture, and by

continuing to gain rights after the war. At the time Flappers, as many
women were known,
were very modern and had independence they never had before. Women
became credited for
many great achievements just as men would. Most importantly, women were
granted access to
the same rights and jobs as men. All these elements of Canadian society in
the 1920s were very
important in shaping the position of women in todays society.

Works Cited
Anderson, Doris. "Status of Women." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 07 Feb.
2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
"Charleston." Streetswing. Sonny Watson, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
"Fashion in the 1920s." Tirocchi. The Tirocchi Family, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
MacDonald, Cathy. "Edmonton Grads." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 07 Feb.
2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Mallah, F. "Roaring..Flapping...Smoking." History of Consumer Society and the Mass Media.
Wordpress, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Marshall, Tabitha, and David Cruickshank. "Persons Case." The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Historica Canada, 07 Feb. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Shadbolt, Doris. "Emily Carr." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 23 June 2013.
Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
Whitfield, Eileen. "Mary Pickford." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 14 May
2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.