Grainger Advertiser (5:11)

Technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

VRBO Advertiser (5:40)

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Warby Parker / Cradle / Rakuten Advertiser (6:07)

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Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (7:11)

From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History. Daily. History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is February 19, 1963. The Feminine Mystique It's September 1957 in Rockland County, New York, two months after the Smith College reunion. Sitting at her dining room table, Betty Friedan licks the flap of a manila envelope and presses it shut with her thumb. She then places it on top of a large pile of identical envelopes, all addressed in the same careful hand. Each one contains a survey with questions like who makes decisions in the household? Do you have interests outside of Your home and do you agree with your husband's politics? It's not the kind of quiz that's printed in popular women's magazines. But Betty has always had interests and ambitions that were a little out of the ordinary. She was born in Illinois to progressive parents who believed girls should have just as good an education as boys. They ensured Betty grew up surrounded by books. And when she got older, she went to a good school at Smith College. Betty's professors recognized her talents, and after graduating summa cum laude in 1942, she planned to go on to study for a doctorate in psychology. She moved west to the University of California, Berkeley. But not everyone in her life was as supportive as her parents had been. Under pressure from a boyfriend who resented her academic ambitions, Betty dropped out and returned east. Settling in New York's Greenwich Village, she instead built a career in labor journalism. She had long been active in left wing politics and began writing about strikes, wages and working conditions. She learned to listen to people and really hear what they had to say. In 1947, Betty married an advertising executive and quickly had three children. Nine years later, the family moved upstate to Rockland county. And while her husband continued his work in the city, Betty became a stay at home mother. But it didn't take long for her to grow bored with life in the suburbs. By her mid-30s, Betty's once promising career in journalism had been reduced to writing occasional articles for women's magazines. And her commissions were almost exclusively about homemaking or domesticity. So as her 15 year college reunion approached, Betty began wondering if her classmates were as dissatisfied with life as she was. And like any good journalist, she decided just to ask. And on the college lawn that summer, she saw something she could not ignore. From the outside, the women around her seemed to have it all. But inside, many of them were just like Betty, increasingly frustrated and unhappy. Betty's instincts told her it was worth pursuing further. So she put together a survey for her former classmates to gather more proof. Now it's ready to be mailed. Within days of sending out the envelopes, she starts getting responses. Betty stacks them up unopened, resisting the urge to rush ahead before she has a large enough sample. But when she finally sits down to read them, she finds to her relief that the women have taken the survey seriously. The answers are long, detailed and often sad. Betty spreads the pages across the table. She marks margins, circles, phrases, draws connecting lines. Not all of the women are unhappy, but Betty notices a pattern. The women who describe themselves as most content are the ones who have resisted the stereotypical role of the housewife and mother. The women who conform most are the ones who feel the most trapped, who feel that they're wasting their potential, their education and their lives. Betty can't ignore what she's found, and she begins to shape the material into an article, tapping back into the kind of journalism work she craves to do. She reaches out to more women through some old contacts and local community groups, steadily collecting more and more data. And when the article is written, she gives it a blunt, punchy title, Are Women Wasting Their Time in College? She sends it to her agent, who advises her to keep her expectations low. This isn't the kind of thing magazine editors are usually interested in, and as predicted, the rejections come quickly. One male editor even sends the article back with a note saying Friedan must be going off her rocker. Only the most neurotic housewife will identify with this. Soon after, Betty's agent concludes that no major women's magazine will touch it. But Betty doesn't back down. If her article can't get published, she decides to raise the stakes by turning it into a book. Betty has no illusions about what she's attempting. Turning a short article into a book will take time. It will mean working around the demands of family life, squeezing in research and writing late at night or early in the morning. But Betty won't be deterred, and once she begins, she'll find she cannot stop. History Daily is sponsored by Quince. The difference between stuffing a closet and building a wardrobe is all about pieces that work together and hold up over time. That's what Quince does best premium materials, thoughtful design, and everyday staples that feel easy to wear and easy to rely on even as the weather shifts. And boy, can the weather shift. Here in Dallas, we went from 50 to zero in just two days, so layers are important. Organic cotton sweaters, Polos for every occasion, lighter jackets and thicker coats. Quince has them all, working directly with top factories and cutting out the middle men. So you're not paying for brand markup, just quality clothing like the pieces we outfitted our daughter with. A new hoodie, some wide leg, fleece pants and even a bracelet that she's yet to take off. So refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to quince.comhistorydaily for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada, too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com QCD free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comhistorydaily@vrbo we understand that even the best.

VRBO Advertiser (13:27)

Of plans sometimes need a little support, so we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our VRBO Care guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready before your stay, through the moments in between and after your trip. Because a great trip starts with peace of mind and maybe a good playlist. But we've got the peace of mind part covered.

Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (13:52)

When you're a pro, you gotta do a little bit of everything. A little, a little, and even a little. And it helps to have something that works as hard as you do. That's why Valspar has durable, high coverage paint for every job. Every time made. For more Valspar pros, head to Lowe's today and talk to a pro rep about saving time and money on your next job with Valspar. Signature paint exclusions apply. See valsparpro.com for details.

Grainger Advertiser (14:22)

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Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (14:25)

A busy dog salon, but I see operational excellence thanks to genius. From global payments, scheduling, personalized checkouts, instant absolutely genius. From game day crowds to every groomer in this shop, Genius keeps everything flowing seamlessly.

Grainger Advertiser (14:43)

Schnauzer is styled flawless execution, big league reliability.

Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (14:48)

For any business, that's genius. It's February 1959 in Rockland county, two years after Betty Friedan decided to turn her rejected article into a book. The now 38 year old Betty draws a firm line through a sentence on a yellow legal pad. She flips the page and rewrites it. The house around her is quiet, the children are at school and the baby's asleep, for now at least. So she continues to write longhand at the dining room table, filling the pages line by line. Over the past two years, this project has grown far beyond its original shape. Betty has interviewed white middle class women across suburban America. She recognizes that her interviewees are undeniably privileged. In many ways they are not uneducated. They don't suffer racial discrimination or the gnawing anxiety of wondering where their family's next meal might come from. In fact, they live in circumstances that post war America holds up as the ideal. And yet it's clear that many of them feel empty. Betty has noticed how often the women frame this unhappiness as a personal failure. They assume something's wrong with them, and many have resorted to self medicating to cope, drinking alone in the afternoon or taking prescription tranquilizers. Betty recognizes this reflex. She's felt the same way. But if so many women blame themselves for the same distress than the problem cannot be individual. It must be systemic. Since Betty had that realization, her work has shifted. She believes many feminists of earlier generations promoted women's suffrage and education as a way to create better wives and mothers. Those campaigners achieved some great things, but they also essentially propped up the existing social structure. And now Betty is convinced it's precisely that structure which is holding women back. So in her writing, she starts questioning wider American culture more deeply. She writes about Sigmund Freud and the way his ideas have been used to argue that women are happier in traditional feminine roles. She examines popular women's magazines that celebrate domestic devotion while quietly discouraging ambition. And she critiques educators who steer young women and girls away from careers and toward marriage as a final goal. Of course, Betty is still part of the social structure she's condemning. She's still a housewife. She still has to write between dropping off her kids at school, household errands, and preparing meals. But despite all those challenges, steadily her manuscript thickens. The legal paths pile up. It takes years, but by the early 1960s, Betty is finally ready to submit her book to publishers. She knows that her argument is controversial, but she hopes that the evidence she's assembled will make it impossible to ignore. But when the responses arrive, they are depressingly familiar. Some publishers tell Betty that the book is too provocative and urge her to soften her language. Others suggest the dissatisfaction she describes won't be of interest to a wide enough readership. A few even question whether the problem exists at all. But eventually, New York publishing company W.W. norton agrees to print the book, which Betty titles the Feminine Mystique. But even then, W.W. norton's commitment is limited. The initial print run will be small, just 2,000 copies. There will be no marketing campaign to support its release, and the publisher seems to have little confidence that the book will ever be read beyond the niche audience. Still, Betty agrees anyway. She's come too far to abandon the book now. The most important thing is that it's published, that the argument she's making is put out to the public. So, as the final galleys are prepared, she reads through the manuscript one more time. She still believes every word. Women have been taught to seek self worth outside themselves, whether it's their husbands, their children, or their homes. Their own development, education and ambition have been neglected and even treated as dangerous or unfeminine. Her book does not promise readers happiness, and it suggests no neat solutions to the problem Betty identifies. What it offers instead is only recognition. The publishing industry doesn't think there's much of a market for that. But all the editors and executives who doubted her will be proved wrong. The book will not land quietly, and it won't be forgotten. Instead, the world will discover just how many women have been waiting to see their lives in print. History Daily is sponsored by Quince. The difference between stuffing a closet and building a wardrobe is all about pieces that work together and hold up up over time. That's what Quince does best. Premium materials, thoughtful design, and everyday staples that feel easy to wear and easy to rely on even as the weather shifts. And boy, can the weather shift. Here in Dallas, we went from 50 to zero in just two days, so layers are important. Organic cotton sweaters, Polos for every occasion, lighter jackets and thicker coats. Quince has them all, working directly with top factories and cutting out the middlemen. So you're not paying for brand markup, just quality clothing like the pieces we outfitted our daughter with. A new hoodie, some wide leg, fleece pants, and even a bracelet that she's yet to take off. So refresh your wardrobe with quint's. Go to quints.com historydaily for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com historydaily free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com historydaily this message comes from Brex. Brex is the intelligent finance platform that helps you spend smarter and move faster. With Brex, you get corporate cards with built in expense management plus a team of AI agents that handle manual finance tasks. Learn more@brex.com don't you wish everything was.

Warby Parker / Cradle / Rakuten Advertiser (20:40)

More rewarding with Rakuten? Almost everything is. You can earn cash back on those new shoes you've been wanting. You can save on the next trip you book. You can cash in on groceries. Rakuten is a smart way to save money and feel rewarded. When you shop, Rakuten partners with all of your favorite brands across so many categories. Fashion, beauty, travel, concert tickets, electronics, restaurants and more. Just join. Shop your favorite brands and save. Target, Instacart, Expedia, Macy's, Sephora, cvs. The list is long. Save online, in store and at over 22,000 restaurants. And when it's time to redeem those rewards, get your money exactly how you want it. Choose PayPal, check, Bilt points or cash out with gift cards. So go ahead. Take a trip, fill a cart, order dessert. Rakuten is a world of rewards. Join today for free. Go to rakuten.com or get the app that's R A K U T E.

Grainger Advertiser (21:38)

N. If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (22:17)

It's February 19, 1963, in New York City, six years after Betty Friedan first began interviewing American housewives. Betty pauses beside a newsstand as the morning crowd streams past her along the sidewalk. She buys a copy of the New York Times and flicks deliberately to the book review section, scanning column after column until she reaches the piece she's looking for. The review of the feminine mystique is unsparing. The New York Times critic dismisses the central claim in Betty's book, arguing that women's dissatisfaction reflects individual weakness rather than any cultural constraints. If the women Betty interviewed are unhappy, they have no one to blame but themselves. Betty shakes her head. By now, that argument is an all too familiar one. Editors have been raising similar objections for years, even now her book has been released. Senior figures at her own publishing house have been careful to distance the themselves from the book. But the reactions Betty is more interested in are those of her readers, because not long after publication, letters started arriving for Betty. Women wrote to her to say that the book has named feelings they once believed were shameful. Some admit they thought something was wrong with them. Others say they had assumed that they were alone. Book sales climb quickly. The initial print run is soon exhausted, and more copies are ordered.

Grainger Advertiser (23:35)

Ordered.

Narrator (Lindsey Graham, History Daily Host) (23:36)

Women read it on buses, in bedrooms and late at night, after their households have gone quiet, they start sharing the book and talking about the book. They begin to describe their own feelings not as a weakness or something to be ashamed of, but as a condition shaped by American culture, law and expectations. Not everyone sees themselves reflected in the book. Many point out that Betty has focused on white middle class interviewees, and she's left the experiences women women of color and the working class largely unexamined. But Betty's book is just the start. In the years that follow, others will expand on her arguments and research. This second wave of feminism will look beyond the narrow question of legal equality between men and women to shift the focus toward creating a level playing field in people's everyday lives at work, in education, and in the home. By naming a problem earlier generations experienced but never fully articulated, Betty Friedan helped make that shift possible. And a new chapter in the fight for equality in America began with the publication of the feminine mystique on February 19, 1963. Next On History Daily February 20, 1939 Thinly disguised as a demonstration for true Americanism, a Nazi rally takes place place in Madison Square Garden. From Noiser and Airshift, this is History Daily hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohamed Shazi Sound design by Molly Bond Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Olivia Jordan Edited by William Simpson Managing Producer Emily Byrne Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

Grainger Advertiser (25:34)

If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. This is the story of the 1. As an H VAC technician, he and his digital multimeter are in high demand. So when a noisy office H Vac turn turns out to be a failing blower motor, he doesn't break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product information, he selects the product he needs to keep everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.