A Timeline of Women’s Independence
By: Bevin Adams
On July Fourth, Americans celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the American colonies separate from the British Empire.
Although the holiday is meant to inspire gratitude for being free and independent, not everyone received liberation from the initial formation of the United States of America.
Women have had a long road to equality, even after the country gained the power to self-govern.
There’s still so much to be done to ensure gender equity, but the timeline below serves to show you just how far we’ve come since the founding of our nation:
July 19-20, 1848: The Seneca Falls Convention occurs in New York with over 300 attendees. This is the first women's rights convention organized by women.
December 10, 1869: Wyoming becomes the first state to pass legislation that allows women the right to vote and run for office.
August 18, 1920: 19th Amendment is ratified. The right to vote cannot be taken away from a person based on their gender.
1960s: Women could have their own bank account without facing any discrimination.
June 10, 1963: Equal Pay Act is signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, which makes it illegal for employers to pay employees different wages based on gender.
July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act becomes law, which prohibits employment discrimination based race, gender, or religion.
January 22, 1973: Roe v. Wade's decision allows women across the nation to keep their right to privacy, especially in the medical field. (Editor’s note: Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States on Friday, June 24th, 2022, after the initial draft of this blog post was written)
1974: Equal Credit Opportunity Act is passed, allowing women to apply for loans and credit on their own. Women were also allowed to obtain a mortgage without a man signing.
September 13, 1994: The Violence Against Women Act provides funding for programs that help victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, and other gender-related violence.
January 24, 2013: Women are now allowed to serve in combat positions in the U.S. military.