Background
The third wave of feminism developed in the early 1990s. Compared to the second wave of the 1960s and 1970s, the movement focused on diversity and inclusion, and worked to redefine the meaning of feminism. This new wave of feminists addressed reproductive rights and equality in the workplace, like second wave feminists. Issues like date rape and sexual harassment regained prominence in the 1990s. Anita Hill’s testimony in the Supreme Court hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991 brought third wave feminism into the mainstream.
The Riot Grrrl movement developed in the early 1990s. It was part of the third wave of feminism and encouraged women to participate in the punk scene as an outlet of self-expression. Young feminists in Olympia, Washington started this movement, reclaiming derogatory terms like “slut” by painting the words on their bodies. They coined the term “riot grrrl” because they wanted to start a “girl riot” against male-dominated American society. Zines, homemade magazines that are photocopied, were a popular way for riot grrrls to share their views. Their zines included discussions of difficult topics like sexual abuse and eating disorders. Punk music was another popular form of expression for riot grrrls.
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1977 - 2001End of the Twentieth Century
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1977 - 2001End of the Twentieth Century
43 ItemsStudy the experiences of women as technology, globalization, and increasingly polarized politics shaped the nation.
1889 - 1920Modernizing America
63 ItemsDiscover how women experienced and shaped immigration, industrialization, progressivism, and suffrage at the turn of the 20th century.
1866 - 1904Industry and Empire
42 ItemsConsider women’s rights at the end of the 19th century as the nation redefined the boundaries and privileges of citizenship.
1948 - 1977Growth and Turmoil
42 ItemsConsider how women of diverse backgrounds contributed to and were shaped by an era of escalating political activism and rapidly shifting social norms, from the dawn of the Cold War through the apex of the debate over the Equal Rights Amendment.
1820 - 1869Expansions and Inequalities
50 ItemsExamine what Westward Expansion meant to the diverse women living within and outside of the expanding nation’s borders, how women responded to the burgeoning immigration debate, and the roles women played in the early years of the Industrial Revolution.
1492 - 1734Early Encounters
67 ItemsDiscover the lives and experiences of Native American, African, and European women who encountered one another on America’s shores.
1920 - 1948Confidence and Crises
47 ItemsExplore dramatic shifts in American society and culture from the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the dawn of the /topic/confidence-and-crises_post-war/ era.
1692 - 1783Colonies and Revolution
70 ItemsTrace the development of colonial society and identity up through the crucible of the American Revolution.
1832 - 1877A Nation Divided
50 ItemsDelve into the ways women participated in all aspects of the Civil War, and on both sides, from the early debate over the expansion of slavery through Reconstruction.
1776 - 1831Building a New Nation
50 ItemsExplore the foundation of the new nation, the ways women’s rights were suppressed under the new government, and how women were central to the formation of the new American identity.