The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

During the early 20th century, Texas saw significant changes that greatly influenced the roles of women within society. While patriarchal norms continued to prevail throughout the state, women played a crucial role by helping to shape the state’s development and reconstruction after the Civil War. In rural areas of Texas, women were mostly engaged in domestic work. While they were responsible for managing the household and raising children, women also saw their influence grow as they began to work alongside their husbands in managing agricultural production. Their contributions to farm work during this time represented an essential part of the state’s overall economic growth.

While women played a significant role in the agricultural sector, they had limited access to the public and political spheres of society and were expected to remain within the domestic sphere. They also found opportunities for education and employment to be scarce despite the significant economic growth that Texas enjoyed during this time. Despite these limitations, some women challenged the existing social expectations in various ways. The suffrage movement—a movement in which women demanded the right to vote in public elections—began to gain momentum in the early years of the 20th century. Texans like Jane Y. McCallum and Minnie Fisher Cunningham worked tirelessly to secure women’s right to vote, and their efforts paid off in 1918 when Texas became the first Southern state to grant women limited suffrage, allowing them to vote in primary elections (Taylor, Elizabeth A. “Woman Suffrage.” Texas State Historical Association, 24 Aug. 2023).

During the early 20th century, the number of young women attending schools increased, and the curriculum expanded to allow women to study subjects beyond those necessary for maintaining a household. As a result, women were empowered to seek a variety of new opportunities and began to enter the social sphere independently of the men in their lives. They formed social clubs, literary societies, and organizations that focused on social welfare and education. Many women found their voices in these groups, expressing their concerns and creating new connections; these groups therefore led to an increase of women’s influence in the public arena (Cottrell, Debbie Mauldin. “Women and Education.” Texas State Historical Association, 12 Sept. 2023).

World War I, which had an extraordinary influence on broadening women’s roles in society, began toward the tail end of this period. As many men enlisted in the military, women stepped into the roles left vacant, working in factories, serving essential civil service roles, and volunteering in other war-related efforts. Women’s contributions to society during World War I permanently expanded their opportunities and challenged traditional gender roles and expectations (“Texas Women in World War I.” Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 21 March 2017).