Jobs During The Elizabethan Era

They had to work day and night just to barely create a living. On top of that the weather was

Women in the mid-1600s to mid-1700s underwent pivotal changes. While these changes would alter their roles in the colonies, certain aspects of their responsibilities remained the same.

led to a shortage of available workers and therefore a demand of labor which could only be fully

Not only was learning how to operate new machines frustrating, it was also a very dangerous job. Safety standards had not yet been introduced and the people were working jobs in which losing their lives or being physically harmed was very likely and not uncommon. Workers were on the job for long hours every day without receiving frequent breaks. They also faced the risk of deadly fires and dealt with working in buildings that did not provide adequate ventilation or heating during the cold part of the year. For example, workers who were responsible for performing the process of purifying iron were often working in temperatures that would reach up to 130 degrees. It was also hard for the workers to protest or strike in hopes of receiving better working conditions or fairer working hours because of the unemployment rate being fairly high. Employers could easily replace them with someone else and also because working rights had not been established at this point, strikes were often dealt with severely.

The hard working women who worked in these factories suffered horrible working conditions, not to mention low salary.

That being said, the worker's problems did not end once they found steady employment. Employers were harsh and unforgiving in how they treated their employees. For example, if an employee was one minute late they were penalized an hours pay. If they were 20 minutes late they forfeited their employment. Worse yet, if they were injured or hurt on the job the company takes no responsibility and the worker is forced to recuperate on their own time without pay

That being said, the worker's problems did not end once they found steady employment. Employers were harsh and unforgiving in how they treated their employees. For example, if an employee was one minute late they were penalized an hours pay. If they were 20 minutes late they forfeited their employment. Worse yet, if they were injured or hurt on the job the company takes no responsibility and the worker is forced to recuperate on their own time without pay (i.e.; when Jurgis sprained his ankle and had to recuperate at home for 3 months). The final insult to the workers was that even if they were always on time, worked hard and maintained their health they could lose their job due to the

Women and children were able to join the work force, but for little pay and long hours. Many were face with poor work conditions, hazardous health issues and short lunch breaks. The economic success was often left unchecked by authorities, who were not ready to deal with the consequences of these uncharted waters.

An addition to the cheap labor, working conditions were harsh and the immigrants were exploited.

Workers were marginalized by the poor working conditions they had. A lot of the time the workers

Defining what a female was supposed to be and do was an act of Renaissance culture. For most of Renaissance society, women represented the following virtues which, importantly, having their meaning in relation to the male; obedience, silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience. The most important being sexual chastity and piety.

The working life was difficult for these women. They would work eight to ten hours, often on a night or overnight

Even the young and the elderly were forced to work as well. They hardly ever got days off, only on Sundays and holidays that were not frequent, such as Christmas.

The Elizabethan Era is often referred to as the Golden Age of England (A Changing View...). The Elizabethan Era, named after Queen Elizabeth I, was a time of change and discovery (Elizabethan Superstitions). Elizabeth ruled in a time of religious turmoil; both the Catholics and Protestants fought to be the official religion of England. (Elizabethan World View). Many people throughout England struggled to find the “correct” religion (Elizabethan World View). Religion was changing and so did science. During the late 1500’s science began to evolve; new ideas, concepts, and beliefs were starting to emerge (A Changing View). Magic was considered to be very similar to science in this era. The belief in magical creatures served as the roots for

Women in this time lived a hard life as well. Regardless of their status in society, they were tied to household tasks (“The Middle Ages”). This including duties such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children, sewing, and baking. Along with these jobs, women also