The Roanoke Times in 1893 reported that Boston had approximately 185 men teaching in the Boston school system and 1,372 women. Ever wonder how the salaries really differed based on gender? Well, you can see here that men were paid an average of $246.06 per month and women $70.69. So men were paid 348% higher than women just because…they were men?!

Imagine you are a woman in the large city of Boston in 1893. If you were not married (or living a stress free domesticated life) being a teacher was one of the few acceptable (and available) professions for women. So you’re limited to teaching (what if you didn’t like kids?) and start your new job. The next day you read the paper and find out that the male teacher in the next one-room schoolhouse makes over 300% more because he’s a man. What a punch in the face. Good thing your corset wasn’t laced too tightly (like some of your non-working friends) or you’d pass out from loss of oxygen during your moment of outrage.