Do you have a citation for this? My historical understanding was that throughout the late 18th, 19th and very early 20th centuries the Industrial Revolution and

Do you have a citation for this? My historical understanding was that throughout the late 18th, 19th and very early 20th centuries the Industrial Revolution and urbanization made it a financial necessity for (non-farming) women to work outside of the home. Then, the enormous wealth gains in the early to mid-20th century made it possible for many to stop working or never join the workforce at all, and they took up that opportunity. I would be interested in reading more. Looking at the labor force participation rate for women, since 1950 it's gone from 1/3 to 2/3.