Hatpin Panic - 1900's Women Defending Against Men

One hundred years ago, hat pins were at the center of a fiery debate in America concerning the rights of women to exist in the same public spaces as men. This became known as the Hatpin Panic.

As women gained more independence and autonomy outside the home at the turn of the 20th century, public debate reached a fever pitch over the use of hat pins. With the introduction of the hat pin as a weapon, women suddenly found themselves with the ability to defend themselves against predatory men, called mashers, on the street and on public transportation. For the first time, women posed a physical threat to men with hat pins. But it wouldn’t be long before male lawmakers sought to limit the power these women now wielded in public spaces during the Hatpin Panic.

As a result, women held protests, organized marches and shared impassioned speeches in an effort to rebuke these imposed limits on the use of hat pins. Sound familiar? While women today fight for the right to bring predators to justice through the #MeToo movement, the source of the 1900s woman’s power while in public lay with the humble hat pin. (Via: Blurred Bylines Read more here: Hatpin Panic: How Hat Pins Upended Gender Politics in 20th Century America)