What Is Carol Berkin's Treatment Of Women In Colonial America

In First Generations Women in Colonial America, Carol Berkin demonstrates the social, political, and economic circumstances that shaped and influenced the lives of women during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the colonies. In exploring these women’s lives and circumstances it becomes clear that geography, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, and other factors less fixed such as war each influenced a woman’s experience differently and to varying degrees. In doing this, Berkin first showcases the life of a specific woman and then transposes that life onto the general historical framework and provides a context in which this woman would have lived. The lives of these women exemplified is also explored and demonstrated through the use of comparison to highlight their different experiences. Moreover, this analysis also seeks to identify the varied sources of these women’s power, albeit for many this power was limited. The analysis is broken up primarily by geography, then by race, and lastly by time and war. While these factors provide the overarching context of analysis, more specific factors are also introduced.

During the time of 1600-1700’s women did not have the same rights as men in other words they did not have any rights at all. Women were treated very poorly with no type of respect. In the book called FIRST Generations WOMEN in COLONIAL AMERICA, by Carol Berkin it talked about various examples of how women were treated. Throughout my essay I will be explaining a few topics that were repeatedly in the book and I found important. Huge topic like gender roles, women population, and men being privilege. It was not easy for women around this time era, because they had to deal with a lot of hurtful things. Women were doing things we would not to today just so they can survive. Even though some women by becoming a mother meant to die soon.

The Native women were also responsible for raising the family. While being married to a trader, the wife was supposed to act as one of their wives from back home. Usually the wife/mother would wake up early in the morning and start the day such by making food or even preparing the furs for them to be sent back to Europe. Most women would also catch the food for the family, while their husbands were occupied with the trades. They were also responsible for raising their daughters and teaching them the general skills of a woman. The sons would also stay with their mothers at home. However, when they became men they would follow their fathers and learn the business.

“Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence,” is a book written by Carol Berkin. In this writing, Berkin goes into detail on the important role women of the 1600s-1700s took place during the Home Front War. Berkin argues that it wasn’t just the men who fought for independence, but women fought for freedom as well. The book describes the roles that different women faced, the challenges women faced, and women’s capabilities during the war.

This was a very sharp contrast to the Europeans, whom had for centuries, been the top of their social hierarchy. In Europe, the women had a very relatively primitive, limited role in society. They were not allowed to attend or partake in political affairs, with very few exceptions. Now, on the other hand, in Indian society there was a council of chiefs, whom was all male, but they were appointed by an elder women. Also, during their deliberation over issues, the males made the final decision, but would be expelled from the council, if they didn't conclude to the same decision that the elder woman came to. The women's main job in Indian society, was being in charge of cultivation of, harvest of, and distribution of food. When the men left to go hunting, women were left to run society. The Europeans simply believed that the males were far superior to the family, which is why women could not have jobs, and were left to only clean, cook, and various other household chores.

In both tribes, women were expected to all of the cooking for the family, ‘cleaning’ quilling, beading and more.

Native American women had to follow their husbands, fathers, and brothers to wherever they wanted to go in order to stay close to the bison. Therefore, with all the moving around, they had teepees that could be put up for living and taken down for travelling. Women were in charge of both packing up and putting up these moveable homes. Once they had claimed their new home, women started working the fields. These fields were their responsibility. Their children were also theirs to care for while the men were out on long hunting journeys. On top of all that, Native American women made things to trade, such as jewelry, tools, and pottery.

The seventeenth century was full of challenges; political, social, and economical. Across the board individuals struggled to live, although the conditions had much improved from the beginning of the colonies. Women in particular had a difficult time fitting into this patriarchal this society. Women were defined by men and were seen as an accessory to men. In the colony of New England women were learning how to have a silent voice, while still maintaining the proper role of time. The way women were seen by men, who ran the colony, and the way men thought, not only about women, but also about the world would sculpt the society and the

In conclusion, there is no denying that women during the colonial period experienced an extremely different life than women in our modern society do. When we take an intricate look at the history that encompasses the colonial period, comparisons can easily be identified and conclusions can be quickly brought up. The societies evolution over two centuries, women have indeed gained respect to civil rights. Although, American colonials were perhaps the first to start noticing the issues and urgent need for civil rights, women took on a new identity in order to help all women gain respect and

In the Indian society women were viewed similar to slaves, in the fact that they were not allowed to possess any property. All of “the wealth in which they earn is acquired for him to whom they belong” (“From The Laws of Manu” pg. 64). Women of the Indian society were also given away by their father in marriage, therefore, they were not given the privilege to choose their significant other. The Indian society viewed women as being a piece of property rather than a human being. A woman was also not allowed to independent from their father or husband.

They had to follow their husband’s orders and they couldn’t make legal contracts, even divorce became more circumstantial for women than for men

In addition to the physically demanding work most middle class women were also malnourished. Under-nutrition was a large problem during times of crop failure, and if this occurred during times of pregnancy both the fetus and mother were at high risk for death5[5]. It was also not uncommon for women to nurse their children up to two years of age to save on food expenses. Unaware that lactation requires significantly more fat to remain nourished, women who chose to feed their children in this manner were often left reproductively damaged until their weight returned to normal6[6].

Regarded as North America’s “First People”, the Native Americans consisted of hundreds of separate cultures and tribes, each with their own belief systems, social structures, cultural and political practices. Men were generally responsible for hunting, warfare, and interacting with outsiders, therefore, they had more visible public roles. Native American women, on the other hand, were often viewed as the creator of life, through giving birth to children. They managed most of the internal operations of the community such as household chores, engaged in agricultural food production, and child-rearing (Pearson, E. 2011). Some beliefs held by most Natives were the importance of caring for the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of a woman during pregnancy and its effects on the fetus.

In the 1600s and 1700s, women focused solely on the house and family and left the men to tend to the political decision making and formal education. Women believed that God had created them to be the helpmate to man. “Their natural inclination was to obedience, fidelity, industriousness, and frugality and her natural function was bearing and nurturing children” (Berkin 4). Women’s roles as helpmates to their husbands were never challenged, so they continued throughout the colonial period. Everyone followed the defined gender roles of the men tending to the fields and shops and women tending to the home. At times, women were called upon to help with the planting of fields or harvesting of crops, or even helping in defending their homes while their husbands were away on business or serving in the military. No matter the amount of effort the woman put in, none of these actions blurred the lines between the gender roles.

Women are known for having great responsibilities. Today, most women are treated equally in the society. They have the same rights as men, and they can do difficult works like them. However, in 16th century, women are very quiet and obedient, also they don’t have the same rights as men because they are seen as weak people. But, women in 16th century works hard as servants and housewives. They know how to do household chores, like cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry. In this time period, men outnumbered women. Therefore, women were sent to Virginia to start new families and have a stable life with them because family was the key to grow a new society.