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How the right to education helped women change history of the US 

–Although they have all too often been excluded from the history books, women have in fact played an invaluable role in shaping the history of every nation on Earth – not least the USA. While for most of history, society has done its best to repress women and exclude them from positions of esteem, power, and education. Despite this, there is no tide in history that was turned without the participation of women.

Thankfully, over the past century, the achievements of women have come more to the forefront of society, and their contribution is receiving greater recognition. Students in college are more and more often dedicating their research to the history of how females have come to greater prominence in society – by taking lessons and writing essays. A big factor in the rise of women has been achieved through gaining access to access to education. Researching the history of women in higher education and the effect that this has had on society makes for a great writing assignment for school.

Should a teacher give you the opportunity to write an essay or perform academic research into the history of education for women, there’s a lot for students to learn. It’s possible to dig out a lot of fascinating facts about women movements from essays about women’s rights in the USA that focus on the history of women in higher education. Researching this topic illuminates the sheer extent to which the changes in society are reflected in the access one has to education in America. Here’s an introduction to how women’s education rights history has shaped the landscape of the USA.

The beginnings

As far back as 1835, groups of abolitionists were opening coeducational schools that welcomed women and non-white Americans. These coeducational spaces were opened as part of an early movement towards equal rights for all citizens. Unfortunately, these efforts were not widely accepted across the nation. Even when the women’s suffrage movement formally began, most higher educational institutions were still very much so closed to girls.

However, this began to change as the 19th century entered its latter half. More and more institutions began opening their doors to women, and roughly two thirds of new educational institutions opened in the 1860s and 1870s accepted enrollment by girls. The ever-growing need for teachers in the expanding western states meant that the government began turning to women to fulfill this role. Their greater access to education was thus both a consequence and a cause of women gaining power as educators in society.

The 19th Amendment

The 19th amendment to the US constitution was ratified just over a century ago, and remains to this day one of the most landmark events in the history of the country. Through the 19th amendment, women finally gained the long-withheld right to vote, and this had major ramifications for the role of girls in both education and the workforce.

As women were rapidly becoming more highly educated, their desire to engage in politics increased. The 19th amendment finally gave an outlet to this political energy, and as women began voicing their political will, the landscape of American society quickly began to change.

Interestingly enough, research has shown that the passing of the 19th amendment was followed by greater government spending on social works and a shift towards the passing of more liberal legislation. This shows how not only did the 19th amendment change women’s lives, but the lives of all Americans.

Modern times

Since the passing of the 19th amendment, the importance of the role played by ladies in both education and general society has only continued to grow. More and more of the workforce grew to be made up by females over the 20th century, and the participation of girls in higher education consistently outranks men.

In the present day, the statistics of women in higher education say a lot about the state of American society. Women still consistently make up a greater proportion of the students in higher education, and regardless of ethnicity are more likely to graduate with a college degree than their male counterparts. However, the historical struggle for girls to truly reach equality is reflected in the statistics of women’s student debts.

Women carry a heavier burden than their male peers when it comes to paying off their student loans. This is thought to be due a combination of families tending to save less money for the education of their daughters versus sons, and the fact that men still tend to be paid higher salaries than ladies of the same qualifications.

What all this goes to show is that a girl’s fight to education is one that has its roots far back in American history yet is far from won. The efforts of females have contributed invaluably to the history of the USA and will continue to do so – especially as their place in education improves.

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