North Carolina women and the Progressive Movement

This lesson includes primary sources from Documenting the American South specifically related to North Carolina women involved in reform movements characteristic of the Progressive era. For the most part, these documents detail women's work in education-related reform and describe the creation of schools for women in the state. They also demonstrate that, as was true in the rest of the nation, the progressive, female reformers of N.C. were segregated based on race and socio-economic status.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Social Studies

By Meghan Mcglinn

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Related topics

• Learn more about American history, North Carolina, Progressive Movement, United States, history, oral histories, social studies, and women.

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Learning outcomes

• Students will develop a better understanding of the impact of the Progressive Movement in North Carolina.
• Students will uncover avenues of female empowerment and work outside of the home.
• Students will learn more about women’s history.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 day

Technology resources

Internet Access, computer lab or individual copies of the four primary sources

Pre-activities

Students should already have some familiarity with the Progressive Movement in the U.S. prior to this lesson.

Activities

Students should read the following documents:

1. The Women’s Association for the Betterment of Public School Houses in NC: pp. 1-19
2. Mecklenburg Female College: all
3. The Carolinian: introduction, especially p. 8 (rest can be skimmed)
4. ”Some North Carolinians on Equal Pay“: Perhaps the most important part of this document is that it actually was written and shared in 1918. Student may wish to skim the various sections but there is no need to read in great detail.

Teachers may wish to divide students into four groups and, using the jigsaw method, allow students to “teach” each other about the documents. For these purposes, use the document chart.

Assessment

Students should write about or discuss the following prompt: To what extent do women in North Carolina mirror their national counterparts in terms of their work outside of the home and involved in progressive movements? Also, cite examples of the expected “women’s role” in these efforts and evidence of their success.

Supplemental information

Comments

This lesson is designed for advanced history classes.