In New York, an act was passed that required men to receive consent from their wives if they wished to sell a piece of property that the woman brought into the marriage. The act also required a judge to meet with the woman privately to ensure that the signature was not forged and the agreement was not coerced.
1839
Mississippi became the first state to allow married women to own property in their own names.
1844
In Maine, married women gained access to separate economy and trade licenses, allowing them to retain their income for personal use.
1848
In New York, the Married Women's Property Act was passed, allowing women to serve as sole property owners, regardless of their status as married or unmarried.
1862
The Homestead Act offered up to 160 acres of free federal land to single, divorced, widowed, or deserted women, which they could claim under their name.
1880
Coverture—a common law that stated women were subordinate to their husbands—was outlawed in the United States.
1919
The First Woman’s Bank of Tennessee opened in Clarksville, providing resources and opportunities for women to become financially independent.
1968
The Fair Housing Act was passed, protecting homebuyers, owners, and renters from discrimination based on race, gender, sex, religion, national origin, and disabilities.
1974
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in the U.S., granting women the right to obtain their own credit cards. Until then, banks required single, widowed, or divorced women to have a man cosign any credit application, regardless of the woman’s income.
1981
Kirchberg v. Feenstra, a U.S. Supreme Court case stated that women are not subordinate to their husbands when it comes to property ownership and control.
