Women In Colonial Germantown

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.

In the early 1800s, women were second-class citizens. Women were expected to restrict their area of interest to the home and the family. Women were not encouraged to have a real education or pursue a professional career. Also, women were considered unequal to their husbands and all males legally and socially. The day-to day lives of men and women were quite clearly divided during the late 1800s. Woman in the late 1800s were treated inhumane because of society, class, and their rights.

During the American colonial period, the presence of patriarchy was undeniable in both the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Chesapeake colony, but little is known about the important roles that women filled. Although there were many shared roles among women in both colonies, their level of importance in the success of their colonies differed. The Massachusetts Bay Colony women were more essential to the success of their colony than the women of the Chesapeake colony, especially with regards to its economy, education, and religion.

Prior to these changes, career options were limited for women. The work of a wife was often alongside her husband, running a household, farm or plantation. "Indeed, a wife herself was considered her husband's chattel, or personal

After marriage, the husband was considered lord and master of the family. But not all the women were meek and submissive. By the 1700's, the woman’s status had rapidly improved in colonial America. A wife and child made as much as a man did. Although women did not have equality with men, their status greatly improved from their status in Europe. A woman’s station in life was determined by the position of their husbands or fathers. The women of the poorest families, compiled to work in the fields, stood at the bottom of the social ladder. One of the surest signs of the accomplishments a family had made, was the exemption of their women from the fields. Before 1740, girls were trained in household crafts and the practical arts of family management. But afterwards they began to study subjects that required reading and studying such subjects as grammer and arithmetic. The women of the upper classes occupied themselves mainly with planning the work of the home and with supervising the domestic servants. Along with these tasks the women also baked, nursed, and sewed. But there were many social restrictions placed on the women of that time. One such restriction was that a wife, in absence of her husband, was not allowed to lodge men even if they were close relatives. For

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.

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.

The growth of antislavery in the United States in the early to mid-1800s was taken by many but also took numerous years to be totally antislavery. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” and yet numerous people did not follow or believe in this until the Second Great Awakening. Quakers had thought that since colonial times that it was a sin to own another, they also stated that in the eyes of God that all men were created equal and believed in it. By 1804 slavery in the Northern states stretching from Pennsylvania to New England hand promised to be free states, yet the South was still in slavery. One way that helped stopped slavery in the South was the American Colonization Society, which helped

Today, women are believed to be equal to men however this was not always the case. During colonial times, women did not have the same roles as women do today; men and women had fixed roles in society. Roles between men and women do not exchange due to strict gender roles. Additionally, married women were not exactly considered as companions instead, as the husband’s property. Although gender roles were a significant issue among women in early America, another issue was the background of these women. Factors such as race, religion, geography/region, and social class were substantial to the extent of control a woman had over her own life. These factors significantly shaped the lives of these women. For instance, white women had differences

Kept husband up to date in news if he was out of town by sending letters

In the 1940s Germany got invaded by many countries such as the U.S, Canada and the British. This war lasted for about two years killing many of people. The people that got caught in hiding were brought to concentration camps. Germany took awhile to recover from the war because they lost ninety percent of their population. After world war one Germany wanted revenge. They thought they were treated unfairly so this led to Hitler leading them to world war two. “Hitler promised to make them strong again”. World War two affected many people around the world, not just the Germans but all the other countries. By everyone going to war caused more women to take over the man jobs. For example, “ Women entered the workforce” and their were labor shortages.

Women would marry in their late teens to a man that their parents had chosen was good enough for her, or that they thought would be extremely adequate. Women would find their early teen years as the most special, “After completing their domestic training, they enjoyed late adolescence as a special phase of life” (“Courtship and Marriage in the Nineteenth Century”). This training that they would go through would show them how to be an adequate wife for their husband and how to take care of their household in a suitable and proper way. When a white woman had wished to marry, “...her wealth was passed to her husband. If a woman worked after marriage, her earnings also belonged to her husband” (“Marriage in the 19th Century”). The woman would have her husband take authority for her wealth, owing to the fact that this was typical back in the 19th century. Women had very high standards set for them when marrying, primarily these expectations on women came from their parents. Men would have the main authority of the household and his wife, as did Tom Weylin over Margaret Weylin. Tom Weylin had treated Margaret poorly, but all the more better than a slave worker. The relationship between Tom and Margaret is how most marriages in the 19th century held

Single brothers, husbands, and fathers were the designated men in charge of taking care of a woman. Regardless of social standing, women were not allowed to obtain an education or vote in an election. Becoming a cook or maid were the two main options for women if they were looking for a job. Some women were able to transgress their role that was predetermined

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the marriage was increasing based on affection instead of on male authority. Romantic love began to play an important role at that time. During courtship, the woman can judge the reliability and character of the man. It meant that women had more authority and freedom in choosing a partner. Another change was that self-sufficient farming was gradually replaced by wage labor. Husbands began to work for enterprises to earn money instead of planting crops and wives took care of children, prepared meals and did other household chores at home. In this way, women got more authority at home. In addition, the number of children declined and thus the size of the family became smaller. Today, the picture is different.

Due to society’s aversion on allowing woman to make an income, the dependence on a man’s income was necessary. “Barred by law and custom from entering trades and professions by which they could support themselves, and restricted in the possession of property, woman had only one means of livelihood, that of marriage” (Kent, 1999, p. 86). The two main objectives most woman were in search of in a mate was wealth and social status, for this reason. Social status was a strictly enforced part of society and marriage gave