The Status Of Women During The Colonial Era

Women’s roles have changed greatly throughout history. As the advancement of culture, laws, and ideas altered ways of life, women’s lives also evolved in numerous aspects of society. Women’s roles changed greatly between 1815 and 1860. During this time, family dynamics changed as the mothers that were placed at the center of the household were given greater freedoms. In addition, women had more opportunity to take on jobs in the workplace. Women also fought for reform movements that altered their ways of life in the community. During the reform era of the United States, factors such as religion, education, and reforms greatly changed women’s roles in the family, workplace, and society.

The gender roles in America have changed tremendously since the end of the American Civil War. Women and men, who once lived in separate spheres are now both contributing to American society. Women have gone from the housewife so playing key roles in the country's development in all areas. Though our society widely accepts women and the idea that our society is gender neutral, the issues that women once faced in the late 1860s are still here.

In the mid 1800’s in the US, women were responsible for completing duties at home and raising their kids. Their everyday routine consisted of waking up the kids, cooking all three meals, cleaning the house, washing dishes, doing laundry and completing all other household chores. If they lived on a farm, women would help with farming and raising livestock. Married women were considered property to their husband. The status of a woman is based on her husband's status. All women, regardless of social status, were not granted any rights. During this time, some women were into politics and began to question the establishment of political authority. The common question was why was political authority only granted to men. In the mid 1800, in some

Throughout the nation’s history, American’s have sought to put an end to discriminatory practices and bring equality toward minority groups. For example, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech were directed at putting an end to mistreatment of African Americans. Likewise, Jane Adams and Susan B. Anthony used their authority as women’s rights activists to push for greater equality amongst the genders. While some may argue that women are lagging behind in the race to equal rights, others claim the opposing approach. In today’s society, women are achieving true equality due to a shift in the old stereotypes toward women, increasing opportunities for women to become educated, higher expectations for women in the workplace, and a stronger influence of women in government positions.

“Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it.” - R.H. Sin. During Colonial America, women weren’t as valued as in current day. In Colonial times, women worked around the house, didn’t have legals rights, some were wealthy and others were slaves and others lived in the city.

Women have virtually the same rights as men. However, the fault needing to be recognized in today’s society is the way that women are treated. Even in simple areas, such as jobs, women are put on the back burner. A woman is able to become a CEO of a company, nonetheless, she will struggle twice as hard as a man would. Even as an employee, women are statistically paid less than men are.

In 1637, gender roles in the Puritan colony were very limited for women. In the case of Anne Hutchinson, all odds seemed to be against her when she was put on trial. Trying to argue she had done nothing wrong, Hutchinson was found guilty. Despite the ministers claiming her religious beliefs were the main reason for her punishment, there seemed to be an underlying message directed towards Hutchinson. Living in a time and place where women were not in a position of power, had no political leadership, and no religious authority, Anne Hutchinson was banished from the Puritan colony due to challenging and threatening widely accepted gender norms.

Life for women in Colonial America was tougher to endure than life back in England. With daily home chores, that generally lasted all day, to keeping the children under control, women were often burdened by the amount of work they had. Luckily, settling down and finding a husband was inevitable. Although, many women who first came to America as indentured servants would have to wait for marriage until the end of their service.

Women were an essential part of the formation of creating the early United States of America. We can tell because of all of their contributions in Jamestown and Plymouth. In 1608 is when women first started coming to the New World to assist with anything that the men may need help with. Over the years, women would be a huge support during the Colonial Period and American Revolutions, even afterwards towards the eighteen century. If it was not for women coming to the New World, the men would not have lasted long in this New World and the United States would not be what it has become today or even was created. Yes, men were the first settlers to the New World, although women created an atmosphere that assisted men from the beginning to present

In the mid to late 1700's, the women of the United States of America had practically no rights. When they were married, the men represented the family, and the woman could not do anything without consulting the men. Women were expected to be housewives, to raise their children, and thinking of a job in a factory was a dream that was never thought impossible. But, as years passed, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell began to question why they were at home all day raising the children, and why they did not have jobs like the men. This happened between the years of 1776 and 1876, when the lives and status of Northern middle-class woman was changed forever. Women began to

The status of women during the colonial times were below the men at that time. Women were basically property of men and did what the men said to, kind of like slaves. Women experienced freedom, but it wasn’t good enough. Women could not fight in wars, vote, and most did not know how to read. Men also abused their wives, and women were denied access to divorce even in the harshest conditions. It didn’t matter the economic conditions of the women, variety of women with economic differences were accused of witchcraft. There were very little women who led in religious events because, they would be accused of witchcraft. Most women who had a lead role in religion were often persecuted or banished. Anne Hutchinson who believed in freedom of religion

The structure of Colonial America was a fearful system of judgmental men and women who had to label an individual before they acknowledged their rights or lack thereof. A man is based on physical aspects and were dominant in colonial times, while women were meant to be submissive with no rights along with the slaves and Native Americans. Colonial males controlled the household and could not be questioned whereas married colonial females’ held no rights or words as her husband now spoke for her. This was one of the many sole ideals of the European countries that crossed the waters with the initial pioneers. The labor system were also based on gender as women were seen to remain indoors and adhere to the needs of her husband and family while the fields and physical labor were meant for the men.

Throughout the U.S history, women have fought a long journey in order to be treated fairly and equally. When women arrived to this country, they were seen as housewives who only served their families, nothing less and nothing more. As time progressed, many women started to disagree with the idea of being just housewives and believed they were capable of many great things such as having the right to vote, and being able to work outside of home. Eventually, it started to create inequalities of the legal statuses of men and women. Around the mid-nineteenth century, the women’s right movement started bringing controversial

They are also instruments for enforcing those values” (Sapiro, 2003, p. 285). The law and policies of the United States do reflect this country’s gender norms. In the beginning of this country’s history women were not even thought of as citizens. The passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, and its determining that no citizen should have his privileges or immunities abridged did not apply to women. In the 19th century women could not vote, own property, or even hold a job unless their husbands allowed them to do so. With women in such a beleaguered state there certainly would be no representation for them in the laws and policies of the land. The best a woman could aspire to would be to raise her sons to be productive citizens, thereby contributing to the “republican motherhood.” However, even though women were not yet recognized by the government they were still fighting for their rights and slowly they began to win them. Once women earned the right to vote in 1920 when Congress ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, they began even more strongly to seek change. As a result of their struggle, laws and policies began to change to reflect the growing idea of equality for women. In 1963 the Equal Pay Act was put into action allowing women to make equal money for equal work, along with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, barring sex discrimination in hiring, firing, promotions, and working conditions. The Education Act of 1972 barred

Between the late 1700’s and the early 1900’s many American women struggled to obtain the same rights as men. The society of women as a whole had pushed for equality constantly throughout the years. Women especially obtained more equality by publicizing their reasoning and demands for equality. This, is first and foremost proven by the way women had advocated greatly for improved academics for women. Women used another good tactical approach to achieve equality by speaking out strongly against inequalities between the genders.A third example of a great leap for equality, would be the religious movement, the upsurge in religious enthusiasm allowed women to demonstrate their piety and even to found new sects; and this in turn led to change in the way the world viewed women.