7th+Grade+The+Progressive+Age

(7th Grade History) -

During our unit on the Progressive Age, I drew more defined parallels between the struggle for African-American emancipation and women's struggle for equal rights. In particular, I drew attention to the notion that the women of the late 19th Century were extremely restricted in their choices as far as choosing a career, owning property, or even functioning in society if they were unmarried. The focus of our course has been on the Constitution and its ability to adapt to the changing demands of American culture. I feel it has been eye-opening for the female students in the class to observe the struggles their 19th and early 20th Century counterparts had to go through in order to attain the rights many of us take for granted. Ken Burns' documentary,[|Not for Ourselves Alone - The Story of Elizibeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony], presented women's struggle with a seriousness and drama that the 7th graders (female and male) were able to appreciate.