The Transportation that Propelled Independence

Women and Bicycles

“Julia Obear, Messenger Girl at the National Women’s [i.e. Woman’s] Party Headquarters.” The Library of Congress, October 21, 1922.

Did you know that the bicycle helped greatly to promote the Women's Rights Movement?

The bicycle craze that swept the nation in the 1890s emancipated women in more ways than just transportation. Women found ways to build communities and even change the way they dressed to be able to adhere themselves to the new fad. It brought freedom to be socially mobile, efficient, comfortable, and in control. The invention of the bicycle changed the lives of women nationally. It brought new fashion, new competition, and a new sense of determination.