Amelia worked in a Toronto hospital until World War I was over. Then she came back to the United States. She wanted to study science. Maybe she would become a doctor. Amelia decided to enroll at Columbia University in New York City.
At that time, most men wanted wives who would stay at home. That was fine with most women. But not Amelia. She could not understand why a woman had to give up work just because of a wedding ring.
Amelia wanted a career—she just couldn’t decide what career she wanted. After some time at Columbia, Amelia quit school again. She went to Los Angeles. Amelia’s parents were back together again, and she moved in with them. Amelia’s family was hoping that Amelia would settle down soon.
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT
Sounds painful, doesn’t it? But the word “suffrage” doesn’t mean “suffering”—it’s about getting the right to vote.
It wasn’t until the 1890s that Wyoming became the first state to let women vote. By 1913—when Amelia Earhart was a high school student—women could vote in only 12 of 48 states. But the voices of protest were getting louder. “Suffragettes” marched in the streets. Many were arrested and put in jail. But the fight continued. Finally, on August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was passed. Women in every state of the union had won the right to vote.
Amelia was seeing a young man named Sam Chapman. Sam asked Amelia to marry him. But Amelia knew that Sam would not want her to have a career. She said no. Amelia knew what she didn’t want. Still, she was drifting.
Then, on Christmas Day in 1920, her life changed. Twenty-three-year-old Amelia Earhart and her father were with a crowd of people in Long Beach, California. They were all looking up into the sky. Why? An air show was taking place.
Pilots raced each other in their planes. They also did incredible tricks like wing walking.
Amelia was fascinated. She had just one question. How much would it cost to take flying lessons?
At that time, there were no airports or runways. Planes took off from big, empty fields. Three days later, Amelia and her dad went to Rogers Field. It was there that she took her first plane ride.
The flight was ten minutes long. The pilot sat in front. Amelia sat behind him. The cockpit was completely open. Amelia and the pilot wore goggles to protect their eyes.
The plane bounced across the bumpy field for takeoff. Then it slowly rose into the air. Right away Amelia was hooked. She later said “As soon as we left the ground, I knew I, myself, had to fly.”
Amelia was not drifting any longer. From that day on, she had a goal. Amelia was going to become a pilot.
At nearby Kinner Airfield, a woman named Neta Snook gave flying lessons. A woman pilot— this was just what Amelia wanted. Neta agreed to teach Amelia to fly. It would cost $1.00 a minute. In 1921 that was a lot of money—but Amelia was willing to pay.
The next day Amelia arrived for her first flying lesson in riding pants, boots, and a jacket. She had walked three miles from the streetcar to the airfield. But she wasn’t tired. She was excited that her dream was about to come true.
That first day, Amelia only taxied the plane on the ground. But it wasn’t long before she was up in the air. Amelia was a good student. She just seemed to know naturally what to do.
Neta and Amelia became good friends. At twenty-four, Neta was only one year older than Amelia. Amelia wanted to learn all about air-planes She pestered Neta with questions all the time.
When the weather was good, Amelia practiced flying. When the weather was bad, Amelia didn’t waste that time. She read and studied about flying.
Amelia also learned to repair airplanes. She cut her long hair short. She bought a leather jacket. The jacket was soon wrinkled and oil-stained. Amelia didn’t care. Learning about airplanes kept her busy all the time.
Soon Amelia wanted her own plane. With her mother’s help, Amelia bought a small one at Kinner Airfield. Neta thought the plane was too small to be safe. Amelia ignored her. She had her plane painted yellow, and she named it the Canary.
On December 15, 1921, Amelia took the test for her license. It was a little less than one year from when she took her first lesson—but she passed.
Amelia Earhart was now an airplane pilot. |