Legislation Concerning the Women's Movement in the United States In the 1900s, state and federal laws that discriminated against women posed some of the most significant obstacles in gaining women’s rights. The earliest campaigns to improve women’s legal status in the United States focused on gaining property rights for women. Women also led legislative efforts in the 19th and 20th centuries to ensure their voting and employment rights. Property Rights Beginning in the 1830…showed first 75 words of 1215 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1215 total…Friedan started the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966 in an effort to increase women’s political power in the United States. In its early years, NOW focused on the rights of women as individuals. This strategy appealed to professional women and failed to gain a large following. Membership in NOW expanded dramatically after the organization sponsored the Women’s Strike for Equality, a massive demonstration on August 26, 1970 (the 50th anniversary of women’s suffrage).