Is it accurate that women in America could not open bank accounts until the 1960s? Which law allowed this?

by czerwona-wrona

hey all!

looking for some detail on this, as a very brief point in a paper I'm writing. it's literally just one part of one sentence, but I think it's a really powerful point and I don't want to be full of shit.

I know women were routinely discriminated against if trying to get credit until 1974 ... but what about just opening a bank account?

was it actually banned for women to open their own bank accounts, or was it just that they were not guaranteed the right so they were effectively not allowed? I imagine this varied between states as well?

did this apply to all women, just married women, etc?

I am trying really hard to find some source or actual law for what actually "gave women the right to open a personal bank account in 1960", but I can only find basically this single general statement with no citation, from random banks' websites making posts about financial history and stuff lol..

someone help me pleeeease :B

EdHistory101

There's always more that can be said, but this very busy thread from a few years ago about RBG gets at a lot of what you're asking.

  • Here, u/sunagainstgold explains the concept of coverture, which is relevant to your question.
  • Here, in the same thread, /u/mimicofmodes goes into more detail and provides sources.
  • u/KongChristianV explains the history of the The Equal Credit Opportunity Act in a multi-part comment here.
  • And then later in the thread, I explore how the rules weren't based so much on what happened as much as what white social norms said should happen and how such laws didn't impact all women in the same way.