35 vintage photos show what life was like for women 100 years ago

The women's rights movement reached a national scale after the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, in which leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott spoke on the need for women's suffrage.

When the 19th Amendment was ratified in August 1920, it largely benefited white women.

Voter intimidation and discriminatory policies kept many Black women from the polls. The government also often denied Native American and Asian-American women citizenship, so they were also unable to vote. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and voting rights amendments in 1975 that some Black women and other women of color were finally able to cast their ballots.

Women protested for their right to vote for nearly a century before the amendment was finally passed in 1920.

Those who protested faced arrest, jail time, and harassment in their efforts to secure women's rights.

They voted in the election for either Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge on the Republican ticket or James Cox and Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the Democratic ticket. Harding won by a landslide and became president in 1921.

Women's suffrage in Great Britain was put into law differently than in the United States. The country saw two stages of granting women the right to vote: the 1918 declaration of suffrage for women, and then the declaration of full suffrage for women in 1928.

The 1918 declaration was highly exclusionary, only allowing women over the age of 30 who were married to members of their local government register.

It was only in 1928 that women were granted equal voting rights to men, allowing women over the age of 21 to cast a ballot.

Though the Women's Christian Temperance Union was behind the movement that sparked Prohibition, there were also women against the alcohol ban. Female bootleggers were often far more successful than men at the time, since it was illegal for male police officers to search women.

Georgia Ann Hill Robinson was the first Black female police officer appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department, and possibly the country, in 1916. She worked for the LAPD for 12 years, and fought against segregation and for women's welfare.

Before the job became popular for women, teenage boys worked as the first switchboard operators. However, they reportedly proved to be too rude and unruly, and bosses brought in women instead, believing them to be naturally more polite and soft-spoken.

World War I saw the first time that factory jobs, previously viewed as male positions, were taken over by women in the US. They shared the same risks as male employees and did the same work, further illustrating that women could accomplish the same things as men.

Women began doing all sorts of jobs in the 1920s. They ran drill presses, did welding, operated cranes, used screw machines, and many other jobs that required heavy machinery.

These women spent their days icing cookies at a factory in Liverpool, England.

In the 1920s, farms still didn't have electricity, plumbing, or heating and cooling. Despite the hardship, families in the Midwest focused on growing fruits and vegetables, while also producing eggs and meat.

As pictured above, many Black women in the South worked picking cotton to make ends meet.

A study indicated that two in three Black women from Black landowning families were involved in cotton farming in the 1920s.

The segregation era lasted from 1900-1930 and meant that in some cases, Black women were barred from working in the same jobs as white women, like these construction workers pictured above.

Henrietta Vinton Davis established the Black Cross Nurses in 1920 as a part of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. They offered health services and hygiene education to Black members of the community.

At the time, hardly any nursing programs would admit people of African descent and many health facilities provided unequal care to Black patrons, an issue that persists. The Black Cross Nurses became key figures for civil rights.

In 1918 and 1919, there was a surge in protests at textile mills in Japan, where women demanded shorter working hours and wage increases. They were receiving far less money than their male counterparts, and they were doing important work like constructing war uniforms, for which there was huge demand at the time.

Though women were perceived as cooks, the role was relegated to the home, rather than a restaurant. However, the 1920s began to see women studying to be professional chefs.

Though the first practical dishwasher was invented in 1886 by Josephine Cochrane, they did not become popular in homes until the 1920s.

The introduction of permanent plumbing in homes made machines like dishwashers possible, though they were expensive and only found in the homes of wealthy families.

In 1909, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey (not pictured) became the first woman to drive across the continental United States, in part to prove that women were capable behind the wheel.

These women are seen cooling down on a block of ice on a hot summer day. Bikinis were not yet popularized, so these outfits were likely the most skin 1920s women would be seen showing.

The 1920s was the first decade to see free and unbridled movement on the dance floor. Dances called the Charleston, the black bottom, and the shimmy were all highly popular.

Women who went dancing at late-night parties were referred to as "good time girls."

Baker first became known for her Vaudeville shows in the US, but she really became a star when she moved to Paris. Baker's shows became famous for her African-inspired dance moves, her singing, and her elaborate costumes.

The first swimsuits were actually made of wool, as designers believed it would help keep swimmers warm in cold waters.

Jantzen was the first to create swimsuits out of a stretchy jersey material.

It wasn't until the 1920s that tanning became popular. Fashion designer Coco Chanel reportedly created the trend with a photo showing her stepping off a cruise ship in Cannes after too much sun. The image was in every paper and created a new standard of beauty.

Stretching, rather than vigorous exercise, was viewed as the ideal method for women's bodies and health. Stationary bikes and rowing machines were also invented in the 1920s, along with the Vibro-Slim, a machine with a vibrating belt that was meant to reduce belly fat.

Before the mechanical bull became a fun attraction at a bar, it was invented to train rodeo competitors. In the 1920s, women realized it would help tone their abs and strengthen their core.

Here, movie star Helen Chadwick uses the rowing machine to stay fit.

Women's swimming was the first aerobic sport accepted by the International Olympic Committee, and was first introduced at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Pictured are US Olympic swimmers Aileen Riggin, Gertrude Ederle, and Helen Wainright.

1920s female fashion was characterized by loose fabrics, lots of fringe, and glamorous jewelry and details. Short hair was also popular, as seen in the woman above.

Long, straight skirts with low waists were the dominant style.

The loose skirts and dresses were very different from the constricting clothes of the previous decades, and were far more movable and comfortable.

Art Deco style and Gatsby-esque outfits were also popular for 1920s women. Showgirls and Vaudeville performers would dress up in decadent velvet and satin dresses, with pearl and gem details throughout.

Though they were popularized 100 years ago, there are plenty of vintage outfits like these that are still trendy today.

Wedding dresses followed the 1920s style: They were short, like the flapper dresses, with form-fitting bucket hats.

It used to be popular to have weddings on Christmas Day in Britain, as churches would hold nuptials for brides and grooms every year. It was often the only time that working class couples could get married, as they'd have Christmas and Boxing Day off.

1920s Halloween costumes were more about inspiring fear than dressing up as celebrities and TV characters. Clowns, ghosts, and witches were all highly popular costume choices back then.