Watch: Why Were Women Not Allowed To Drink In Public Until 1920?

The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed significant shifts in societal norms, particularly regarding women's roles and their access to public spaces. Among these spaces were the working-class taverns, popularly known as "saloons." Derived from the French term "salon," saloons became central hubs for male camaraderie, yet they also served as unexpected venues for bold women to carve out their own spaces in a society that often sought to confine them.

The Gender Divide in Saloons

During the period from 1890 to 1920, saloons were predominantly male-dominated spaces. Swinging doors opened to reveal barrooms bustling with men enjoying drinks, conversations, and camaraderie. However, many saloons also featured a “ladies' entrance,” a side door through which working-class women could enter. This signified a quiet yet significant assertion of women’s agency in a heavily gendered public realm.

Women who passed through these doors were diverse in their motivations. Some were drawn by the saloons' famous free lunches, while others participated in carry-out trade or attended social events featuring music and dancing. Contrary to common stereotypes of the time, these women were rarely prostitutes. Instead, they were wage-earners or family members of wage-earners, residing in the crowded tenement districts of industrial urban centers like New York and Chicago, as reported by History Today.

Restrictions and Reputations

At the dawn of the 20th century, societal norms tightly regulated women’s behavior, especially concerning public drinking. Women drinking openly were often deemed immoral, their reputations at stake in a culture that equated public drinking with impropriety. Such stigmas were rooted in the rigid gender roles of the Edwardian era, where a woman’s place was presumed to be in the home, away from the public eye and its perceived vices.

The Shift of the 1920s: Women’s Emergence in Public Spaces

The 1920s marked a turning point. Empowered by the suffrage movement and newly won voting rights, women began to assert their independence socially and politically. Greater workforce participation afforded women financial independence, enabling them to partake in leisure activities previously reserved for men. Public entertainment venues such as bars, dance halls, and cinemas became arenas where women started to challenge societal norms.

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For working-class women, this often meant entering public spaces alongside male companions who funded their leisure. These outings were not merely about enjoyment; they symbolized a radical resistance against the codes that had long governed women’s public and private lives.

The "New Woman" and the Changing Culture

This era also saw the rise of the "New Woman," a cultural icon representing independence, modernity, and a break from traditional gender roles. Public drinking became a way for women to assert their freedom and push back against the confines of societal expectations. Although not universally accepted, women’s growing presence in bars and other public spaces gradually reshaped this ideal.