Changes

Women gained the right to vote in the United States in 1920. For the next decades, feminism moved into a new stage, no longer focusing on suffrage. The new feminism focused on individualism and on women proving they were men's equals by their achievements. Actresses like [[Katharine Hepburn]], athletes like [[Babe Didrickson]], and artists like [[Georgia O'Keefe]] and [[Margaret Bourke-White]] were examples. But it was the women in aviation who were the most daring symbols of the new feminism, flying as high and as fast as the men, often breaking records set by men and defeating them in races.

The '''Ninety-Nines'' was a group founded (and named) by 99 licensed female pilots for the purpose of advancing women into aviation, after the advent of gaining the right to vote in the United States in 1920. For the next decades, feminism moved into a new stage, no longer focusing on suffrage. The new feminism focused on individualism and on women proving they were men's equals by their achievements. Actresses like [[Katharine Hepburn]], athletes like [[Babe Didrickson]], and artists like [[Georgia O'Keefe]] and [[Margaret Bourke-White]] were examples. But it was the women in aviation who were the most daring symbols of the new feminism, flying as high and as fast as the men, often breaking records set by men and defeating them in races.

In the 1920s, the organizers of cross-country air races did not allow women to compete. So in 1929, the first All Women's Air Derby was organized to give women the chance to prove they could fly the same course as men. But the all-male organizing committee worried about women flying over the Rockies and relocated the starting point to Omaha, Nebraska. The women rebelled and the start was moved back to Santa Monica, California. [[Louise Thaden]] won the race. But more importantly, the normally individualistic women had discovered a sense of fellowship, which they wanted to foster.  

In the 1920s, the organizers of cross-country air races did not allow women to compete. So in 1929, the first All Women's Air Derby was organized to give women the chance to prove they could fly the same course as men. But the all-male organizing committee worried about women flying over the Rockies and relocated the starting point to Omaha, Nebraska. The women rebelled and the start was moved back to Santa Monica, California. [[Louise Thaden]] won the race. But more importantly, the normally individualistic women had discovered a sense of fellowship, which they wanted to foster.