The emergence of an urban, industrialized society affected the lives of American women in the late nineteenth century. Women during this time were beginning to see that not only did they belong in the home, but they could also find a role in the workplace. Men, on the other hand, maintained their role in the job market. However, the jobs of both men and women in the nineteenth become more and more specialized in their nature. Women in the 1800's were searching for jobs that had typically been done by men. These jobs included office work and factory work. As women searching for work found, the jobs they wanted to obtain were not there. Men, or other women who had started the search earlier had already filled these jobs. However, with the reorganization of industrial society, more and more jobs would begin to become available. Adams 2 The increasing number of jobs meant there was more specialization in the workplace. Along with the specialization of industry came improved technology. This would prove to be a great way to get women into jobs. Technology, for example, led to the production of the typewriter. "In the 1880s, also, the employment of women in offices begin to climb sharply . This coincidence has led some analysts to conclude that the invention of the typewriter was basically responsible for the employment of women in offices in the United States" (p68). The invention of the typewriter led to excellent jobs for women in the nineteenth century. Women could now hold clerical occupations. These clerical occupations included positions as stenographers and typists. For women, these were dream jobs. Now, women would not have to work in factories under extremely harsh conditions. "Clerical work was generally seen as more desirable than industrial work, and this spurred women of working-class origins to seek clerical jobs" (p71). In taking clerical positions, women would work fewer hours and make decent pay.
