Women In Colonial America

To understand the significant change in the role of the women is to understand its roots. Traditionally, women in colonial America were limited in

During the Antebellum period, women were not seen as equal citizens compared to men. Social attitudes did change during this period and most women seemed to benefit from it. Women could receive a good education, and even find jobs although their pay was not equal to that of what men were getting ("Women in Antebellum America", 2017)

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.

Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. Since early times women have been uniquely viewed as a creative source of human life. Historically, however, they have been considered not only intellectually inferior to men but also a major source of temptation and evil. Colonial women faced the harsh realities of childbirth, housework, and serving their husbands because it was tradition. The ways of the ‘old country’ culture was forced upon a new one, disallowing any room for new ideals. Although constrained by society Colonial women have had their part in shaping America.

The book First Generations: Women in Colonial America written by Carol Berkin shares the power of control of a women’s role in the early part of American society was linked to her race and where she lived. In the book Berkin does a great job of giving examples of the life of the colonists. For example, we know that women white women had more freedom than slaves African Americans especially when it came to marriage. If a African American would want to get married to a white man it would be considered a “criminal offensive” ( Berkin 109).

Before the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, women were meant to remain in the household and do all the work there. They were supposed to take raise the children, maintain the house, support the husband, and be overall dependent on men. Women did not often work outside of their homes nor did they have any real independence to say or do whatever they pleased. For the most part, women were very dependent on men for most things in their lives. Women were meant to be meek,

According to the article “Rights for woman”, in the 1800 women were treated as subsequent class citizens, and they did not have many rights at all. They were not able to vote and were not encouraged to get an education, or even get a job that they enjoyed (Rights for Women, Par. 1). Women were expected to clean, cook, and find a husband. According to Juliet Levy, Marriage is an agreement that over all comes with substantial financial upbringing. (Levy, 427) As previously stated woman were worth less than men during that time, so the men were basically able to treat them however they wanted. Men were able to send their wives to insane asylums if they did not follow the rules or live up to the expectations of women of that time. According to an article on woman

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 American Revolution altogether influenced parts of slaves and the status of women. It furnished slaves with a chance to escape their servitude through joining the armed force while it gave women an opportunity to announce a more open part in the public arena. Much like servitude, white women were influenced by the upheaval. They were starting to declare a public part in the public eye. They were given an extensive variety of components to further their autonomy in the war.

In the book To Joy My Freedom by Tera W Hunter, the stunning Hunter demonstrates the beautiful contributions of African American women in United States to the Black freedom struggle, and the nourishment of the African American group, the Black women had to confront and overcome dual cruelty- prejudice and sexism. These African women at this time went through a lot, the range of job opportunities for black women was narrower than for men. Freedwomen tasted real freedom when they fought back, in contrast to Resistance and domination; the clashes between the two are similar to the clashes between Washington and Dubois. I fully agree that freedwomen struggled to materialize freedom and understanding the tension of dominations and resistance by

In the post colonial period , women are lively in political roles, the number of women working were spiralling , men didn't have to provide as much , and women had not a lot of rights. The religion in the post colonial era was the “Muslim was 50%, Christian was 40%, and Indigenous beliefs was 10%”. In this era the life expectancy was was male 49 years and for female 55 years to be exact. The official language was English and there wasn’t a lot of people who didn’t speak English based on Britain colonizing them.

At the beginning of colonial time, the roles of women made it very hard for them. Their average family size was around 9 kids and they usually got married by 13 or 14. Once they were married they were no longer their own person, they gave control of all their property, inheritance and earnings to their husbands. Although their husbands were responsible for all aspects of their life, the women had to do everything in the household. They were in charge of making clothing, cooking, making things to sell and use, cleaning, taking care of their animals, tending to the garden and doctoring the children.

In the 1870’s they were allowed to keep hold of the money they obtained, and 7 years later they weren’t forced to live with spouse they didn’t want to. In the 1900’s the employment of women increased dramatically, there most popular employment was domestic servants then teachers. Women should have the right to vote because the laws that are voted for are affected for both genders. If there were any laws that would affect children, women would have a better understanding of the situation better than men. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 also helped women by being against discrimination with the payment they received, it was a success for women.

Obviously we all know that woman have achieved a lot when it comes to the subject of civil rights. But, back in the colonial times, this was not something that was given too much of a thought. For example, even in a religious setting, “women were enjoined to silence during all worship services,” which Carol Berkin tells us about in her book, “First Generations; Women In Colonial America” (37). A woman named Anne Eaton was even tried and punished for speaking out about her religious opinions and the authorities being as ignorant as they were, “declared that Eaton’s “fall” was the result of reading and failure to seek guidance from her husband” (40). This shows that these woman had no voice or position within their communities to even do anything about these injustices.

The post Civil War-era was an extremely pivotal point in the way women in the United States were treated. African-American women were slaves, and most were treated as such by their fathers, brothers, and ultimately their husbands. No women had the right to vote, the right to an education, or the right to serve in the military; all of which are inherent rights women are born with present day. Women were expected to obey their husbands and reproduce as an ‘obligation’. Any inheritance the woman may have goes directly to their husband. Single women were shunned and ridiculed in society in the 1800s. Divorce was punishable by law if the wife wanted to flee (Historical Brief-Lives of Women in the early 1800s; Kelley Smith). Julia Ward Howe was, of course, a victim of this unfair treatment and she went to writing to spread her ideas about women's suffrage, feminism, and independence as a woman.