Hannah Yenofsky
History 17A
TA: Coles
10/30/2014
The Search For An Idealistic Society in America Continues
In 2013, a woman only made 77 cents for every dollar that a man made in the United States. How is it that in 2013, a country built off of equality is still struggling with gender equality? This question can begin to be solved by looking back at the very beginning of America’s history to when the Puritans and Quakers were building their societies. Both groups came to the New World hoping to create a stable and moral society without the troubling demographic and economic transformations that were taking over England, but their opposing approaches to gender relations and childrearing practices revealed that they each hoped to create very different societies: one based on patriarchy to create a Christian Millennium, and one based on religious tolerance and equality. In order to understand why each society had its structure it is important to understand the Puritans and Quakers practiced different forms of Christianity. The Puritans focused on the Old Testament and believed in original sin and predestination, the idea that God had already decided if one would achieve salvation, humans had no control. In contrast, the Quakers focused on the New Testament and did not believe in original sin. They believed that people could earn salvation and …show more content…
Puritan society was constructed in a patriarchal manner. Mintz defines patriarchy as “the unquestionable authority that a man had over his wife, children, and servants that allowed him to control many aspects of their lives” (Mintz, Page 30). The Puritans believed that women were “naturally inferior” and linked to original sin, and therefore men were given this unquestionable authority to ensure society stayed on track. Both the community and the church strongly enforced this paternal
History 17A
TA: Coles
10/30/2014
The Search For An Idealistic Society in America Continues
In 2013, a woman only made 77 cents for every dollar that a man made in the United States. How is it that in 2013, a country built off of equality is still struggling with gender equality? This question can begin to be solved by looking back at the very beginning of America’s history to when the Puritans and Quakers were building their societies. Both groups came to the New World hoping to create a stable and moral society without the troubling demographic and economic transformations that were taking over England, but their opposing approaches to gender relations and childrearing practices revealed that they each hoped to create very different societies: one based on patriarchy to create a Christian Millennium, and one based on religious tolerance and equality. In order to understand why each society had its structure it is important to understand the Puritans and Quakers practiced different forms of Christianity. The Puritans focused on the Old Testament and believed in original sin and predestination, the idea that God had already decided if one would achieve salvation, humans had no control. In contrast, the Quakers focused on the New Testament and did not believe in original sin. They believed that people could earn salvation and …show more content…
Puritan society was constructed in a patriarchal manner. Mintz defines patriarchy as “the unquestionable authority that a man had over his wife, children, and servants that allowed him to control many aspects of their lives” (Mintz, Page 30). The Puritans believed that women were “naturally inferior” and linked to original sin, and therefore men were given this unquestionable authority to ensure society stayed on track. Both the community and the church strongly enforced this paternal