Summary
The struggle to promote and ensure the wellbeing of citizens has been continuously shifting with each decade, culminating in the present rights and freedoms the US population enjoys today. However, there have been many instances in the US history when people’s ability to enjoy their basic opportunities. A number of notable examples can be further analyzed.
Wartime Rights
Participation in wartime efforts often constitutes mobilization of the citizenry or specific legislation conductive toward reaching certain ends. In many cases throughout US history, this meant violating the basic rights of the people in order to promote security, safety or other pivotal concerns. The validity and necessity of such actions can be debated, but their occurrence remains as a fact. World War II, as one of the biggest and most impactful military conflicts in history, saw the US government restraining the personal liberties for some of its people. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, people of Japanese descent were forcefully relocated to camps. This included native US citizens and individuals living in the country for generations. American-Japanese people were taken from their homes, streets and workplaces, often without being able to inform their family. The decision was made in response to Pearl Harbor, an event that shook the entire nation. Japanese United States residents remained incarcerated until 1945, as a tool to deter spy activity. According to current statistics, the order affected 120.000 people, most of whose were US citizens. Overcrowding and insufficient resources often plagued these centers, most likely fueled by a combination of wartime drain and racism. It is also notable that, a push towards incarcerating German and Italian people in that time period was also attempted but proved unsuccessful. The notion of taking certain parts of the citizenry and forcibly removing them from their homes is a clear violation of the US constitution and basic human rights. The example shows how dire circumstances can often be used as an excuse to discriminate against people or put them under extreme control.
Eugenics
When discussing human rights violations, it is also important to discuss a period of US history when the Eugenics movement was most. Historically, ideas of eugenics took a significant hold in the United States, and then spread in places like Germany and Italy. The US was advocating for the so-called “negative eugenics”, which focused on eliminating “bad” genetic traits instead of promoting “good” ones. Notably, racial and social minorities, the disabled and people with mental health issues were often considered ” unwanted ” in some way”. Before the Second World War, eugenics were largely accepted in society and even supported by the US government. As part of their support for the movement, many local governments passed laws regarding forced sterilization. Those with undesirable traits were actively taken from society and deprived of their ability to produce offspring. The first sterilization law passed in 1907 in Indiana. Many more states followed suit, and more than 30.000 people were sterilized between 1907 and 1939. This practice deprived people of choice, violated their bodily anatomy and inflicted direct physical harm. The support of eugenics in the US is among the biggest human rights atrocities in the history of the nation.
The Rights of Disabled
Disabled people in the United States have to also be mentioned separately in any discussion regarding human rights. For many years, the US legal system and the government considered physical and mental disabilities to be exclusively negative, often depriving people with additional needs of their rights as citizens. This included access to housing, education, work opportunities, infrastructure and many others. In addition, disabled people were not given proper opportunities to exercise their rights, such as voting. Necessary accommodations to help the disabled vote were not in place until 1965, which saw the passage of the Voting Rights Act. In order to secure a more comfortable living environment, civil rights organizations and disability rights activists had to campaign fiercely. Before 1973, the disabled population wasn’t recognized as a minority on a legal level, instead being treated as a wholly medical issue. As a result, many handicapped people experienced unequal access to necessary services or opportunities compared to the able-bodied population.
Changes in Women’s Opportunities Since 1900
Feminism and other women’s rights movements have made large strides in promoting opportunities in society. Movements focusing on women’s unique struggles and general social inequality promoted positive change, which resulted in a more equitable society. The 20th century, then, was among the most prominent periods for women’s rights, including women’s suffrage and work opportunities being successful. However, this period did was not fully capable of remedying the variety of social issues underpinning women’s struggles. This essay seeks to discuss and overview some of the prominent trends in women’s rights history, as well as their effects, both positive and negative.
Working Opportunities
Before and during the 20th century, women were primarily considered to be homemakers, housewives and responsible for childcare. This perspective on the roles of women, as well as their role in the reproductive cycle, contributed to the way systems of government treated women. In most instances, the capacity of women to work were restricted, making many depend on their male family members for financial stability. Civil rights movements and feminism both sought to remedy this trend, but efforts were slow. War time, however, proved to be an especially complex time for many women. The departure of men forced the government to make women work in many areas of society, including factory work and operating heavy machinery. As a result, a increasing percentage of the population was able to achieve some form of financial independence or find a profession to call their own. However, the end of the war signaled a rollback on workplace freedoms, ushering many women back to housework. An influx of men coming from war and searching for jobs reduced the need for women in the workplace, and closed off opportunities for growth in the demographic. As a result, wartime changes failed to enact large social shifts or significantly expand the rights of women. However, these events served as active proof of women’s competency as workers, and also provided future activists with the necessary social approval.
Women’s Suffrage
Women’s suffrage can be considered among one of the biggest and most pivotal social movements in the US. Operating for decades, advocates, writers, philosophers and regular people advocated for women’s right to vote. Current records often trace the beginnings of the movement all the way back to 1840’s. Through public participation in the electoral process, women gain the capacity to make changes to society, and push towards legislation more suitable for their goals. An ability to vote would give women the social and electoral power necessary to have a public voice, which was especially important in the effort to counter discrimination. However, it was especially difficult to give women the right to vote, and many vocal political advocates throughout the years used their platform in order to prevent the activists from succeeding. Women’s role in the family was cited among major counterarguments to their voting rights, among pseudo-scientific concepts and discriminatory ideologies. Ultimately, however, women’s rights to vote were written into law in 1920, ending a decade-long struggle to give women a voice. This action was by no means an end to feminist action, but it paved the way for many other movements going forward.
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement of the 1950s had a sweeping impact on the rights of many US demographics. Notably for this discussion, however, is its impact on the standing of women in society. In particular, a push for civil rights strove to ensure women in the workplace were paid the same as men, a problem which persisted in American society. Prior to that point, no legislation existed to protect women from pay discrimination, and they were routinely paid less than their male counterparts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed as a result of the Civil Rights Movements’ incessant action, prohibited discrimination in employment on many grounds, including sex. Interestingly, the sex-based protections were not initially included as a part of the legislation, being considered too extreme for the time. This change cemented women’s right to be appropriately compensated, although the struggle of actually achieving equal pay continued. It is important to note that the passage of this law did not fully protect women and enable them to receive proper wages, as many employers still continued to covertly discriminate against women.
References
“A Brief History of Voting Rights for People with Disabilities.” Your Vote Your Voice, The Continuous Struggle. Web.
“Civil Rights for People With Disabilities.” The Arc. Web.
“Constitutional Rights in Wartime.” Justia Law.
“Early American Eugenics Movement.” University of Washington.
“Japanese Internment Camps.” HISTORY.
“Woman Suffrage Timeline (1840-1920).” History of U.S. Woman’s Suffrage. Web.
“Women and Work After World War II | American Experience | PBS.” PBS: Public Broadcasting Service.
“Women’s Rights and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” National Archives. Web.