{"id":6452,"date":"2025-11-25T18:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T23:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/?p=6452"},"modified":"2025-11-25T18:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T23:18:06","slug":"rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights","title":{"rendered":"Rose Schneiderman and the Fight for Women&#8217;s Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A petite Polish-Jewish immigrant with striking red hair, Rose Schneiderman was a gifted orator and a prominent leader in the American women&#8217;s rights movement. It was she who uttered the legendary phrase in 1911: &#8220;The working woman must have bread, but she must have roses, too.&#8221; Schneiderman started working at 13 and knew exactly what she was talking about. This brave young woman dedicated herself to improving the lives of women, and she achieved a great deal along the way. Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\">newyorka.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0ce13666d4c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0ce13666d4c\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights\/#Family_and_Early_Life\" >Family and Early Life<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights\/#Rose_Schneiderman_and_Labor_Activism\" >Rose Schneiderman and Labor Activism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights\/#Fighting_for_Womens_Suffrage\" >Fighting for Women&#8217;s Suffrage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights\/#Rose_Schneiderman_and_the_Roosevelts\" >Rose Schneiderman and the Roosevelts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal-6452-rose-schneiderman-and-the-fight-for-womens-rights\/#Jewish_Heritage_and_Later_Life\" >Jewish Heritage and Later Life<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Family_and_Early_Life\"><\/span>Family and Early Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-39.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-39.png 750w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-39-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-39-696x371.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rose Schneiderman was born in Poland on April 16, 1882, to a Jewish family. Her parents were Samuel, a tailor, and Deborah. Her mother was also skilled at sewing, baked ritual bread, tended to the sick, and occasionally filled in for the bartender at a local establishment. Rose&#8217;s parents wanted their daughter to be educated, so when she turned six, they moved to the city of Che\u0142m, where Rose started school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1890, the Schneidermans took an even greater risk and set off for New York City. Initially, things went well, but Rose&#8217;s father suddenly fell ill with meningitis and died. Deborah was left alone with three children and was pregnant with a fourth. To earn money, she took on various odd jobs, sewing and doing laundry for neighbors. Unfortunately, she eventually had to place the children in an orphanage for a short time. After bringing them home, Deborah worked through the nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This struggle continued until 1895, when Deborah lost her job. Rose, who was 13 at the time, quit school and began her working career. Her mother, desperate to keep her daughter away from the harsh conditions of the factories, reached out to the \u201cUnited Hebrew Charities\u201d organization to help Rose find a job in a department store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schneiderman became a salesgirl and, in addition, learned to make caps. Her wages were higher than those of girls in the garment factories. However, Rose soon noticed that men were given better positions and earned significantly more than women. After sharing her thoughts with colleagues, she learned about the labor movement, feminism, and socialism. This knowledge inspired her to change her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rose_Schneiderman_and_Labor_Activism\"><\/span>Rose Schneiderman and Labor Activism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"524\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-40.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-40.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-40-300x205.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-40-696x475.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rose Schneiderman was just 21 when she became a union leader. The men who headed the United Cloth Hat and Cap Makers\u2019 Union were skeptical of her at first. However, the charismatic speeches of the young woman quickly drew attention. Moreover, the following year, she led a strike of cap makers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1906, Schneiderman became the vice-president of the New York Women&#8217;s Trade Union League (WTUL). Two years later, philanthropist Irene Lewisohn offered her funds for an education. Schneiderman declined the scholarship, arguing that most working women did not have such a privilege. Instead, she accepted the funds as a salary for her union organizing work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rose Schneiderman was instrumental in making the &#8220;Uprising of the 20,000&#8221; possible\u2014a massive strike of shirtwaist makers that took place in New York City from 1909 to 1910. It was the largest strike of American working women to date. Many of them were Jewish immigrants. Rose Schneiderman, being one of them, found it easiest to ignite their passion. Unfortunately, their conduct and activism caused internal clashes with Christian women within the union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schneiderman eventually resigned in 1914, labeling her former colleagues as anti-Semites. For the next two years, she served as an organizer for the International Ladies&#8217; Garment Workers&#8217; Union (ILGWU). Since the union was led by men, Schneiderman&#8217;s relationship with them also didn&#8217;t work out. After leaving the ILGWU, she became the head of the Industrial Section of the New York Women&#8217;s Suffrage Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of World War I, Rose Schneiderman was one of the most well-known activists in New York State. During the war years, she did everything to protect <a href=\"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/eternal\/history-of-the-fight-for-womens-rights-in-new-york-in-the-19th-century\">women&#8217;s rights<\/a>, which even led to persecution by government officials. Her activities were officially investigated, and Schneiderman herself was famously dubbed the &#8220;Red Rose of Anarchy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fighting_for_Womens_Suffrage\"><\/span>Fighting for Women&#8217;s Suffrage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"615\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-41.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-41.png 615w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-41-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to her vigorous union work, Rose Schneiderman was a suffragist, actively fighting for women&#8217;s right to vote. She helped found the Wage Earners&#8217; League for Woman Suffrage in 1911 and delivered many speeches on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, this courageous woman spoke on street corners and on the radio. The power of her oratory captivated even those who disagreed with her political views. In those days, political oratory was popular, and Schneiderman was often called the most moving speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1920, she ran for the U.S. Senate as a candidate for the Labor Party. Although Schneiderman lost, her campaign highlighted critical issues facing working women. She called for the construction of non-profit housing, the creation of schools, public power utilities and food markets, and the introduction of state-funded health and unemployment insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rose_Schneiderman_and_the_Roosevelts\"><\/span>Rose Schneiderman and the Roosevelts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>By the mid-1920s, it would have been difficult to find anyone in New York who hadn&#8217;t heard of Rose Schneiderman. In 1926, she became the head of the National Women&#8217;s Trade Union League (NWTUL), and it was during this time that she met <a href=\"https:\/\/new-york-yes.com\/uk\/eternal\/eleonora-ruzvelt-sovist-ameryky-u-voyenni-roky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eleanor Roosevelt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The women quickly became friends. Roosevelt often invited Schneiderman to dinner with friends, eager to get to know a representative of the working-class world. She eventually introduced the political activist to her husband. Their frequent conversations influenced Franklin Roosevelt&#8217;s understanding of labor law and the importance of reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon becoming president, Roosevelt invited Schneiderman to join the National Labor Advisory Board. She was the only woman in the organization and drafted codes for every industry predominantly employing women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing this work, Rose Schneiderman was appointed Secretary of Labor for New York State. She worked to ensure social security for workers, fought for equal pay for women and men, and supported the union initiatives of service workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jewish_Heritage_and_Later_Life\"><\/span>Jewish Heritage and Later Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-48.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-48.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-48-300x209.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.newyorka.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/11\/image-48-696x486.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Rose Schneiderman spent virtually her entire life in the U.S., she never forgot her roots or Jewish heritage. Before the start of World War II, she was actively involved in rescuing European Jews. Albert Einstein acknowledged the courageous woman&#8217;s contribution. Schneiderman herself felt she had saved too few people, and this weighed heavily on her throughout the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She retired from active public service in 1949. From then on, she focused on writing her memoirs, and spoke on the radio and by invitation to various unions. Regarding her personal life, Rose Schneiderman never married. She was known to have a relationship with Maud Swartz, a colleague in the labor movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The famous activist died on August 11, 1972, in New York City. At that time, the women&#8217;s rights movement was just gaining momentum. Everything Rose Schneiderman had fought for became possible. Her ideas were embraced and implemented by succeeding generations of social activists. Schneiderman advocated against sexual segregation in the workplace, included all women in unions, called for state regulation of working conditions, public funding for childcare, and maternity insurance. Much of what is now standard practice in this field was first proposed by this brave and extraordinary woman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A petite Polish-Jewish immigrant with striking red hair, Rose Schneiderman was a gifted orator and a prominent leader in the American women&#8217;s rights movement. It was she who uttered the legendary phrase in 1911: &#8220;The working woman must have bread, but she must have roses, too.&#8221; Schneiderman started working at 13 and knew exactly what [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":403,"featured_media":6429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1035],"tags":[4339,4341,3975,4344,4340,4343,4345,4342,4338],"motype":[1045],"moformat":[127],"moimportance":[34,33],"class_list":{"0":"post-6452","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-psychology-of-women","8":"tag-female-labor-movement","9":"tag-feminist-activism","10":"tag-fight-for-equality","11":"tag-history-of-feminism","12":"tag-rose-schneiderman","13":"tag-triangle-shirtwaist-fire","14":"tag-us-labor-unions","15":"tag-women-in-labor","16":"tag-womens-labor-rights","17":"motype-eternal","18":"moformat-longrid-korotka","19":"moimportance-golovna-novina","20":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/403"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6452"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6454,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6452\/revisions\/6454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6452"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=6452"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=6452"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorka.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=6452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}