II.An Overall Improvement in the Conditions of Women's Lives Women's lives improved in the 20th century: First,in terms of technology,factories had now taken over many of the traditional tasks of women.Clothes were no longer made at home.Labor- saving devices such as washing machines and refrigerators,electric stoves and vacuum cleaners made housework less of a chore.Compulsory schooling took young children out of the home,where traditionally women had overseen their early education. Second,American women were becoming more educated.By the 1950s,an increasing number of middle-and upper-middle class women expected to attend college.Medical and legal professions were beginning to open up to talented women,though it was strictly on a limited quota basis. Finally,since the 1900s,white middle-class women were living longer and having fewer children.With the invention of the contraceptive pill,for the first time in history,women had reliable controlover their fertility. II. An Overall Improvement in the Conditions of Women’s Lives Women’s lives improved in the 20th century: • First, in terms of technology, factories had now taken over many of the traditional tasks of women. Clothes were no longer made at home. Labor￾saving devices such as washing machines and refrigerators, electric stoves and vacuum cleaners made housework less of a chore. Compulsory schooling took young children out of the home, where traditionally women had overseen their early education. • Second, American women were becoming more educated. By the 1950s, an increasing number of middle- and upper-middle class women expected to attend college. Medical and legal professions were beginning to open up to talented women, though it was strictly on a limited quota basis. • Finally, since the 1900s, white middle-class women were living longer and having fewer children. With the invention of the contraceptive pill, for the first time in history, women had reliable control over their fertility