ABSTRACT
From the fi ght for woman suffrage at the be-ginning to the rebirth of feminism at its end,the twentieth century has witnessed signifi - cant changes in the public lives of American women. Lacking the right to vote in all but a few states in 1900, women found ways to infl uence American life by creating and participating in civic associations, social service agencies, and public interest groups. Once women gained the vote in 1920, they became active in formal political parties as well. During the GREAT DEPRESSION of the 1930s, women organized relief efforts and protested unemployment, and they supported the nation with defense work and MILITARY SERVICE during WORLD WAR II. Despite these contributions, women continued to face discrimination in the workplace and society. Only when greater numbers of women entered higher education and the paid labor force did their efforts to organize to demand equal rights with men begin to bear fruit. From the 1960s to the present day, women have protested for and won an equal place in public life.
