Knocked Up and Knocked Down:
America’s Treatment of Unwed Mothers, 1945-1960
Abstract:
The stigmatization of “illegitimacy” and the shaming of women who became pregnant prior to marriage has occurred in America since the founding of the country. This senior project explores how unwed mothers were viewed and how they were treated during the Post WWII Era (1945-1960). These years represent a unique time in American social history due to the cultural changes that occurred after WWII. Beginning in 1945, female sexuality was heavily controlled, the “nuclear family” was championed, and a woman’s role in society was confined to the domestic realm. Correspondingly, there was heightened concern about illegitimacy and considerable public discourse on the dangers of premarital sex. By examining the popular culture of this era, the societal pressures for women to remain chaste until marriage can be observed. Commentary by political figures, academics, and sociologists from this era also reinforced a belief that it was damaging to a woman to give birth to a child outside of wedlock. Furthermore, the existence of institutions where unwed mothers were sent to in order to conceal their pregnancies shows that these women were shamed by society. Personal accounts and testimonials from young women who were pregnant prior to marriage during this era serve as evidence to the shame they were made to feel. The cultural environment in America during the post war era pressured women into thinking that they should only engage in sexual activity within marriage. Their pregnancies were a physical sign that they had committed a social transgression and, consequently, they were stigmatized and shamed.