Coming Unraveled

The narrative of this blog has focused on American Empire and U.S. involvement outside of the nation while largely ignoring the on goings of domestic society. This is not because I wish to ignore domestic issues, but because it was a common theme during the period of history between WWI/II and Vietnam. However, by the time Vietnam shook the foundations of the country, America was bursting at the seams with mounting social tensions. Students, their families and veterans cried out against the draft, the civil rights movement was using renewed domestic energy to broadcast their message louder than ever and the women confined to the slumber of domestic homestead duties were awakening. Though all of these issues carry their own very significant weight in the scope of society, I think the issues of women's rights and "second wave feminism" needs the most time in the spot light, because until Betty Friedan's ground breaking book was published in 1963, the plight of women in America was not even dignified with a proper name.

The Book that Sparked a Revolution

This remarkable book has just recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its publication, though many are not even aware of its existence. After  20 years of being told how to be the ideal wives and mothers, this book was a breath of life to the women whom seemed doomed to suffer the eternal stagnation of American womanhood. Friedan wrote, "The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women. It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction  a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century in the United States... -she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question - 'Is this all?'" These simple, yet eye opening words, would stoke the fires which would produce some of the most powerful women's rights organizations (and counter movements) which have left lasting impacts on today's society. 

The National Organization for Women was spawned on the back of the success of Friedan's book. As the first president of now she issued their statement of purpose, "The purpose of NOW is to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities therefor in truly equal partnership with men."(2) With a defined purpose to rally around and a foundation to build off of, the women's movement exploded into the mid to late 60's. Protest and rally's marked the rise of the American women. In one instance, during the Miss America Pageant in 1968, women's liberationists formed picket lines, held a mock pageant parodying the contestants and set up a 'Freedom Trash Can' and "filled it with various 'instruments of torture , high-heeled shoes, bars, girdles, hair curlers, false eyelashes, typing books, and representatives copies of Cosmopolitan, Playboy, and Ladie's Home Journal".(3) This would be one of many instances in which women would forge a new life for themselves in  this country. Some of the most hotly debated issues which this movement spearheaded were pornography, abortion, wages, women's role, political power and many other topics which mirrored the civil rights movement. 

A great portrayal of the traditional domestic role and the 'problem which has no name' can be found in the first season of the television show Mad Men. The first season of the show is a great illustration of life in the 50's and early 60's and eventually the show really begins to illustrate some of its underlying feminist themes. There is a great article about one of the most shocking feminist episodes during season 5 which you can find HERE. 

Photo Credit: Broadway World

The Women's movement would rise alongside the Gay Rights Movement and other revolutionary actions taken by the likes of Friedan and Harvey Milk. Though some of these movements were largely successful, there is still ways to go before true equality is achieved in this country, if ever. Luckily we can thank people such as Betty Friedan for blazing the trial.

1) Pg. 281 - Griffith, R., & Baker, P. (2007). Major problems in american history since 1945: Documents and essays. (3rd ed.). Boston: Wadsworth.

2) Pg. 284 - Griffith, R., & Baker, P. (2007). Major problems in american history since 1945: Documents and essays. (3rd ed.). Boston: Wadsworth.

3) Pg. 298 - Griffith, R., & Baker, P. (2007). Major problems in american history since 1945: Documents and essays. (3rd ed.). Boston: Wadsworth.