How bicycles boosted the women's rights movement

Susan B. Anthony said that the bicycle did "more to emancipate women than anything else in the world."
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The late 19th century inaugurated a period of bicycle mania in the U.S. In 1897 alone over 2 million bicycles were sold, one for about every 30 Americans. Early bicycles were unwieldy and required an enormous amount of strength to operate. But as the technology advanced and chain-powered “safety” bicycles came onto the scene, women flocked to bikes en masse as a new means of exercise and transportation. This new activity required a change in dress since the billowing skirts that were fashionable at the time were unwieldy and problematic. “Bloomers”, or baggy undergarments, were easier to cycle in and became common among women, inciting a political firestorm, enraging men who questioned the decency of women who were challenging norms and donning clothing they viewed as depraved. Bicycles not only gave women a new sense of independence, it also physically broadened their horizons, allowing them expanded mobility without needing to rely on men. These developments contributed to the fight for women’s equality and the passing of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote, with Susan B. Anthony even going so far as to say that bicycles had “done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.”
Also make sure to check out Sue Macy's excellent book on the subject "Wheels of Change" www.suemacy.com/books/category/2
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[@lazyperfectionist1]

"We can't allow women to ride _bicycles!_ They will get _dark circles_ under their eyes!" 😳😳😳 Wow. What?

[@gurgmesh2056]

lazyperfectionist1 That's not all, men back then would spew lies and anti-woman agenda with saying things like bikes make women less fertile. Even doctors where telling women stuff like this.

[@ecodania2491]

you are everywhere hhhh

[@avalynnwaller6885]

EcoDania ....not much else to say really---except in nearly half of ALL homicides of women are their significant others. NUMBERS dont lie.

[@jonathanthompson4077]

Garlinus Gervix Greenhouse effect, or is Venus just hot for no reason

[@so0bly466]

Garlinus Gervix But you know what balances out that CO2 emissions? Trees. So it's not an immediate person's fault but really what people create that produces more CO2, and now we're cutting down more trees and that leads to greenhouse gases, which leads to global warming and now here we are, living in a planet that is growing hotter by the year

[@cakeboss16]

whoa whoa whoa.. How can you just barely mention a women traveling across the world with just a freaking bicycle. Now that is a movie I want to see.

[@ElMoShApPiNeSs]

Barely mention? He made a pretty big deal about it. Did we watch the same video?

[@cakeboss16]

BigFatCock well yeah. The point I was making was a accomplishment like that deserves it's own video.

[@moniquemxrie]

Alex Merriam IKR!? Like what happened next?? I hope she spat in that guys face and he felt dumb as hell

[@eganplaysMC]

But it's not even possible lol How can you cross water with a bike..

[@ladyfarona1988]

ItsEganTime there's also inventions called a plane and a boat... Just saying.

[@JellyDaisies]

Horrible histories taught me this. I was a CBBC child.

[@YPO6]

Cuckold Big Black Cuckold

[@olirayner5129]

LalaTheLazyDaisy yeeessss

[@widen_inhorizons]

LalaTheLazyDaisy Yh UK UK UK UK UK!!!

[@notbenparisi]

that's an easy one. it takes a lot of energy to purify water and/or pump it into your house, and that energy is typically gained via the burning of fossil fuels. so while your community is not at risk of running out of water if you take a 20-minute shower, you do end up with a significantly higher carbon footprint.

[@homeXstone]

also heating the water uses energy! less shower time = less hot water being used.

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

How about we have another rational dress movement? Pockets for women!

[@umiluv]

John Smith - As much as I would agree with you, the style is definitely for women's clothing to be tight around the body particularly around the hips and thus large items in pockets would look oddly shaped. The only time you could actually have stuff in pockets and not look silly is full skirt dresses/skirts with pockets, which thankfully are in fashion. Love pockets on dresses!

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

This is a matter of equality. No pockets means lesser abilities. Pockets without excuses!

[@umiluv]

John Smith - I think you underplay the enjoyment that women have of looking nice. What's equality without enjoyment?

[@AliceDiableaux]

Well why don't you start yourself and prioritize pockets over your ass looking good in those skinny jeans. I'm a woman, most of the time I dress very feminine, the few pants I own all have pockets and I make sure the rest of my clothings which consists of dresses and skirts have pockets. If they don't I sow one on myself. Not that hard.

[@greenyvilanboy6794]

Or Can we Just Have A A shop Finally for Tomboys XC

[@MrJhuang999]

The bicycle was also part of civil rights movement in China. More bikes and bike paths in all city centers - better living for all.

[@UnknownGunslinger]

There was an entire moral panic around the bicycle, and how women should not ride it, because it was ill for their health, gave them "bicycle face", and was generally immoral. Super fine for men though somehow.

[@Caleb-bp8bm]

I kinna wonder if they claimed to have a scientific explanation for it. Like saying it was testosterone that prevented guys from getting "bike face" or something like that.

[@UnknownGunslinger]

Of course they did :) Not to the extent that they had a hormonal theory or anything approaching. But doctors adviced against it, as something detrimental to women's health, based on their own personal experience, which was already jaded by their preconceptions. You can read old archived newspapers or The hidden dangers of cycling by A. Shadwell, M.D. for a taste of some old fashioned moralistic madness :)

[@rahrahraichu7310]

Women weren't allowed to compete in ski jumping in the Olympics for like 90 years. I think it started with doctors having the weird idea that women's reproductive organs were really delicate and ski jumping could damage the womb, which is silly when you think about how women's reproductive organs inside our bodies while men's are literally dangling from their bodies and much more likely to get injured.

[@UnknownGunslinger]

And what exactly is wrong with being a feminist? Realising we're all human, and deserving of respect and equality? Oh the humanity, what a terrible concept.

[@rahrahraichu7310]

Yeah, that's true that there weren't enough competitors but it started as a medical thing. Sorry, I should've been clearer in my first comment.

[@artdesignfilm]

Annie Londonderry is amazing. Her story would make a great movie. How incredible to travel the world on a bike. Especially in 1894!

[@ReeThealien]

This is exactly what Saudi women are going through right now when it comes to driving cars. I hope Vox would look into this and show the irony of history repeating itself again and again.

[@Wooplot]

it is still illegal in some parts of the middle east for women to ride bicycles.

[@kylewowry5356]

Wooplot I think it's cause in the Middle East, most woman wear skirts, which make it almost impossible to ride bikes.

[@moon2a379]

It's legal here though haven't seen any girls riding since it was legal (2-3 years ago) like even though it's legal if a girl rides one she'll probably be made fun of "because girls haven't ridden bikes before why now" kind of law so yeah just gotta roll with it (pun)

[@ziadmessi9434]

where do you live?

[@bossnian5615]

and where exactly is that?

[@trish5111]

SMH

[@AllIsWellaus]

On 19 September 1893 the governor, Lord Glasgow, signed a new Electoral Act into law. As a result of this landmark legislation, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

[@lilik7708]

I too suffer from bicycle face 😂

[@theosnelson1639]

See, in the UK, Horses were far more well known in the fight for votes for women at least, one horse in particular

[@FloppyDisk893]

I'm from the US so, what horse?

[@JellyDaisies]

Ricky Diaz one of the suffragettes threw herself under the kings horse during a Derby, if my memory is correct.

[@Voltanaut]

Some retarded chick who died after trying to prevent King George V who got in the way of him racing his horse. Her name: Emily Davison. www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jun/01/suffragette-emily-davison-knocked-down-kings-horse-video

[@ChristopherisnotanAI]

He wasn't on the horse, it was just a horse he owned.

[@FloppyDisk893]

thanks!

[@Wiejeben]

Only if America stayed with cycling

[@ThePikmania]

yeah bikes are cool

[@logacoolxtreme]

which is why saudi arabia is against women driving probably. god forbid women have rights.

[@Wooplot]

it is still illegal in some parts of the middle east for women to ride bicycles.

[@boomyvoomy]

the reason why women in Saudi Arabia aren't allowed to drive (including cars) is because they believe it will make a women sterile.

[@k1ngjulien_]

Oh boy , it's real: www.theweek.co.uk/60339/nine-things-women-cant-do-in-saudi-arabia

[@potatoe8142]

Its called islam kid

[@bwimmin6626]

pls dont bring religion into this. it has nothing to do with islam

[@NumbCornsGG]

the old times sound like Sharia law in muslim countries.

[@BvousBrainSystems]

Similar mentality I guess, but at least freedom of thought and expression were in the law.

[@allisondoak9425]

Myth NumbCorns please just say Sharia, it means law you're saying law law essentially.

[@FallingGalaxy]

Nah, they just had things happen like a man getting off for raping a woman simply because she let him walk her home and that alone made it her fault when he shoved her inside and raped her and because she was just a woman and not a 'citizen' they used the argument that it would ruin the citizen's life (the citizen being the man) to bother to charge him with such a crime, regardless that he did it, naturally the all men jury said nope, rape was her fault. So you're comparing apples and oranges. Just because things are horrible in the middle east, doesn't mean they weren't also bad for the people in the past who lived in oppressive times themselves. Not to mention women in the middle east these days don't have it any easier. Don't invalidate other people's hard experiences by saying,"But. But...Here and there its worse!' Like someone fighting cancer is going to be relieved to hear someone in another country is starving to death. Like it's going to stop them from having to fight hard to survive. Everyone has their problems but trying to detract doesn't help anyone.

[@aarons8711]

Allie Doak But I gotta go put my Pin number (Personal Identification Number number) in the Atm machine (Atomatic teller machine machine)

[@iamlordemu7542]

This is the third time I've seen people say riding bicycles in the middle east is forbidden for women? Where do people get this from?

[@P3arlJang]

this info seems to be missing in my high school history book

[@colegibson1869]

Pearl Jangjiravat It was in mine though, the part about the need for different pants/dress

[@silverDsherry]

hm seems like these men have a very fragile ego

[@BlackkCobra]

Bloomers were not popular in the 1850s. They were proposed by Amelia Bloomer but everyone laughed at it and she almost immediately put the idea away.

[@sebster100]

One of my favorite essays I've read is about the nature of bicycling in China, and how bicycles relate to the political situation, but I can't remember the title/author.

[@connorjacobmeyer5728]

Could you guys do a video on Mike the Headless Chicken?

[@alliegirouard6915]

This is such a fascinating video! We can't lose sight of the fascinating methods and tools that helped women before us fight for their rights (we still have a long way to go, they could come in handy)

[@someone6413]

In India too in the district of Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu this movement happened, in 1990’s

[@xipleadthe5thx_451]

Will you guys be covering the bilderberg meeting?

[@soyo2406]

Also! The suffragist movement in New Zealand (first country to allow women the right to vote) was partly mobilized due to bikes. Women who campaigned for suffrage were known as pedal pushers, and promoted the petitions for women's rights by cycling around for signatures

[@balaam_7087]

Surprised this vid mentioned nothing about the upper frame of a women's bicycle being designed to swoop lower to accommodate the dress of the day.

[@terrymai9216]

How using Metric makes you up-to-date to the other 99% of the world that uses it.

[@doriannousias6725]

Idk why you chose this video to set up your soap box under

[@k1ngjulien_]

Are you talking about the weel sizes? Wheels are still measured in inches all around the globe to this day. I don't understand why that would bother you tho.

[@ylysergic1749]

how freedom units got us to the moon

[@ylysergic1749]

hek ya USA!

[@24sell]

yeah in europe we also measure screen sizes and wheels in inches. i think we measure it this way because it doesn't really matter the size its like clothes measure xS S M L XL. 24" 26" 28" and thats all. Inches are good for simple selectin a b c d but doesn't fit if you want something real to be measured like lenght of wall in the apartment.

[@jessethelopez]

Another great video Vox! Thanks 🤗

[@gulle8536]

I F*cking Love bicycles Too :D

[@jonolasco]

39 seconds after posting, 7 likes, 2 dislikes, 9 comments. Awesome.

[@jonolasco]

Maybe you don't, which makes it weird for you to reply to it

[@tombombadilofficial]

Barry Slurpentine ooh, but you do.

[@saravthang]

Why so many dislikes???? This is as objective as a topic can be..

[@noralights3997]

I didn't know about that at all! Thanks for the new information! :)

[@abhattacharya88]

I just love your videos! Keep up the good work!

[@samg3456]

I would be the happiest human alive if you guys put links to the music you use in your bio instead of just in the credits. It's always so hard to find.

[@willowpuge7138]

There's something ironic with a man narrating this video when Vox definitely has female team members.

[@AdrianMendoza23]

3:00 = do a video on Annie Londonderry

[@horror7927]

when is the video coming about the Paris deal withdrawal coming yall are usually right on top of the things

[@mikeconnor8294]

I saw a neat performance piece a few years ago called Spin that was about women's liberation and bicycles. It was a one-woman show with musical accompaniment. I still get the Annie Londonderry song stuck in my head ("Annie Londonderry rode no ordinary"). Fun fact from that show: Londonderry was not her real last name but was the name of the soap company who sponsored her trip.

[@Loremastrful]

Nice bit of historical 'now you know', but necessarily left a ton of stuff out. Bikes gained popularity in semi-urban (we call them now suburban) area as an affordable and convenient mode of transportation than a horse. Greater autonomy helped, but the temperance movement did more for women to realize political power than hopping on a ten-speed.

[@Rad-Chad]

Why the heck isn't Katie Londonderry more well known?! That's absolutely amazing!

[@jeffreyharte]

Can't believe I've never heard the story about Annie Londonderry before. How cool is that?!

[@Charles-wz9sd]

I thought at Edoardo Bianchi was the pioneer of the safety bike, they state that on Bianchi's website. Life is too short to ride boring bikes, get yourself a Bianchi Specialissima, Colnago C60 or Colgano CF10 (If you could still find one).

[@RichardYin]

I'm bored, so I'm starting a debate. Abortion isn't murder.

[@ahjinssi1351]

Richard Yin it is.

[@TheMagmaCartel]

Where does Vox find all these questions to answer?

[@Caleb-bp8bm]

they should do a whole new video on that

[@s3cr3tpassword]

Why swear if you're going to censor it anyway?

[@houdannycomedymagic8642]

Excellent info, and entertaining, too. Great work.

[@Grid88]

I love bicycles.

[@spongebobspongebob24]

Thank you so much for censoring curse words. Means a lot!

[@christiantarver211]

I agree. I really appreciate a clean educated video

[@joshuabowden9593]

Just watched a film on this in history. Great

[@acm3512]

they should make a similar video but with the automatic transmission.

[@calciumisgoodforyou617]

I need this video omg my history exam is on Monday

[@TheGerm24]

If you are interested in advancing modern women and girls using bicycles, consider donating here - worldbicyclerelief.org/en/ They give bikes to women in Africa to promote education and healthcare. I'm not affiliated at all, I just think it is a great charity.

[@geraldgrenier8132]

www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12930

[@TheGerm24]

How are they fake? They are a charity that gives bicycles to empower women. Seems completely relevant. Just because I've heard of a related charity doesn't mean I am bot or something.

[@TheGerm24]

Calm down Mr. Galt. I was just relating something I had found that was about the topic. I support helping boys as well.

[@enargins]

I looked at the website. I didn't see anything about them only giving bikes to women. I got the impression they gave them to anyone who needed them, men or women.

[@user-mb7ol2ws3j]

+TheGerm24 I want to advance modern men, what do I do?

[@mariamanvelian]

Very Interesting!

[@bokey9346]

Everyones talking about how many dislikes theres going to be, yet I see none

[@camgood2437]

this is so interesting. I never knew anything about this. hopefully, videos like this will make people realize how ridiculous inequality is, in any form or to any extent. this was less than a hundred years ago, yet, using today's culture as a reference point, it seems bizarre and almost made up..

[@magdas1698]

Absolutely brilliant video, thank u👏✌️

[@janaekelis]

!A woman can't do that!' Londonderry: Oh yeah? I double dare you.

[@mfwhom5214]

Do another video on hip hop!

[@eyesonstag]

I Love Your Animations Guys In Every Video !

[@drackestalentorgen166]

wow thats a tid bit of history i never imagined.

[@_piiraa]

Annie Londonderry was born in Latvia!💪

[@vinaymane5538]

okay but how did she rode bicycle over the ocean ?

[@allisondoak9425]

methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus while she would have found other means a guy did successfully ride a bike across the English Channel

[@kaitlynwatson4308]

is this james from the oddonesout

[@ziadlabib3575]

i love vox so much, never tired of their video "Knowledge is an Enigma" said Rock

[@vincebartle]

I normally really enjoy Vox videos, but this video doesn't actually explain how 'bicycles boosted the women's rights movement'. It's as though their staffers have a list of the subjects their target audience likes, and in it is bicycles and women's rights, and they just haphazardly put fun facts about the two together.

[@samimas4343]

another reason to love bicycles.

[@cons4943]

3:00 I think you mean Annie Derry, mate

[@junglejim4569]

They rode without seat's and felt empowered.

[@LyubavaMalysheva]

Женским голосом это всё сказать нельзя было, разумеется.

[@evahicks5733]

Elizabeth katie Stanton is related to my friend!

[@aghastfont770]

I guess you can say we Rolled with it. ;)

[@PaddyMcMe]

John Kent Starly is just a psuedonym for *Jonathan Joestar!* Who was born in 1868 so in 1885 he'd be 18! He was also an Aries so he designed the bicycle like a ram, with the power coming from the back, the soft wool as the seat and the two horns as the handle bars! How does nobody know this?

[@trish5111]

Title should be " How bicycles boosted the US women's movement ". Women got the vote in Australia in 1903 and our cousins across the ocean in New Zealand were the first in 1893. Bicycle craze didn't hit Australia until after women got the vote.

[@michaelak6753]

my question is how did they think of making a hugely impractical bike that has the front wheel 10 times the size of the other before they invented one that has wheels of the same size

[@MrBlitzpunk]

why did they invent the hugely different sized bicycle wheels in the first place anyway?

[@GayIncel]

Me, Respect , Women

[@deleriousdinosaur3205]

awesome video guys!

[@boomoperator90]

Cool.

[@eliudnjai]

another beautiful video

[@DrivinginNewYorkCityNYC]

bicycles, bicycles. I want to ride my bicycles.

[@LeonStevenWilliam]

any London dairy

[@witchplease9695]

Men also were concerned that women would get sexual stimulation from Bicycle and become unsatisfatied with their husbands performance in the bedroom lmao

[@haydent4461]

Vox answers questions you didn't even know you had.

[@SapphireBlackbird]

This makes me want to go to the next women's march on a bike in late 1800s clothing

[@donutello_]

i sure love bikekikles

[@dailyreva]

I can't ride a bike...

[@sophblueberry]

The video didn't directly address the question other than to quote Susan B. Anthony a couple times. How exactly was women's suffrage helped by the adoption of practical fashion and a sexist culture backlash? I can fill in some blanks with the description about transportation freedom and independence, but that is more of a nice bedtime story than some meaningful historical analysis. Disappointed.

[@marketingjones]

"Bicycle face." Heh.

[@guest_informant]

2:30 "For some reason some men were not happy." And presumably *some **_women_** were not happy* but that doesn't fit the narrative, so we should disregard it?

[@hairtothethrone6420]

I am riding a skateboard from now on

[@RodebertX]

Am I the only one that was annoyed that anny kept using boat rides in her Journey around the World?

[@raakata]

I thought this was a Ted-Ed video until he cursed. Lol.

[@ogorangeduck]

I hope none of these dislikes are from sexists who don't like women's rights

[@hizensitivity]

Me after seeing a Vox title: "Oh well this oughta be good"

[@draw4everyone]

I love how everyone in these pictures is generally upper class. What a bourgie movement indeed.

[@wizardfan8656]

That swear caught me off

[@ivyj.9489]

Do this but with hatpins

[@bajuszmarczi1657]

3:13 So her ride "around the world on a bicycle" consisted of Getting on a boat in California making stops at Japan Shanghai Colombo, Getting off in France and then getting back in a boat to get to the eastern coast not even riding through the USA completely? I'd call that a good publicity stunt, but certainly not "traveling around the world in a bicycle".

[@puskajussi37]

Im sure they boosted the lefts and forwards movements aswell.

[@mattseaotter8219]

Vox got some language on this video