Being part of the evangelical movement and trying to embrace their religion took it’s toile on many southern women. Southern women were expected to be moral caregivers. They were responsible for bringing family members closer to God and often carried a large burden when their husband’s or children rejected the faith or fell short. Some mother even believed that if they loved their children too much or “made them into idols,” God would let their children die. Women’s spiritual authority often set them up for great disappointment with flashes of satisfaction in their family lives. Mother’s also felt obligated to make sure their husband and children were properly and appropriately taken care of, especially when it came to religious matters.
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Young, Southern women whom had not yet been wed, especially embraced the evangelical rituals. These younger women had no husband to please and often found satisfaction in the thought of their possible, more powerful selves reflected in the esteem of preachers. Younger females had very seldom had a voice due to always being seen after by their fathers or husbands; therefore, the evangelical faith was very empowering for these young women. Many of these women became so overwhelmed by religious debuts that it was often short lived; however, some did enjoy a lifelong local repute. It had been often older, more mature women who took root in the evangelical rituals and held strong to their beliefs. Older female members often cherished evangelical fellowship because the church discipline provided some amount of protection. The church provided some protection again drunken and abusive spouses, and male neighbors who slandered women. Although all women held conflicting roles in the evangelical movement, perhaps the most conflicting was the role of the itinerant’s spouse. The itinerant’s wife was expected to be responsible for all the discipline and education within the household. Women were also expected to maintain household authority while their husbands were “engaged in their studies” or “abroad in …show more content…
Evangelical teachings suggested Masters and slave holders should free their slaves. They believed it was wrong to own, trade or sale slaves. African Americans felt as if white Christians were hypocrites and often pointed out the contradictions between God’s Word and slaveholders’ cruelty and inhumanity. William Wells Brown say, “Slaveholders hide themselves behind the Church. . . . A more praying, preaching, psalm-singing people cannot be found than the slave holders of the South.” White southerners found these beliefs extremely conflicting. Some would say African Americans embraced the evangelical movement simple because it went against slavery while others believe it was a strong connection to religious faith. Although African American women were discouraged by men of both races, many developed an unassailable confidence in their spirituality. Religion gave both African American women and white women a sense of purpose. It was one thing they had control over. In the account of one woman, Letty, an African American slave who attempted to repent of her sins and become a Christian asked for guidance from both her master and her brother whom was a slave preacher. Both concluded that Letty was not under conviction and that she should not participate in the church. Letty along with two other African American women eventually began
Young, Southern women whom had not yet been wed, especially embraced the evangelical rituals. These younger women had no husband to please and often found satisfaction in the thought of their possible, more powerful selves reflected in the esteem of preachers. Younger females had very seldom had a voice due to always being seen after by their fathers or husbands; therefore, the evangelical faith was very empowering for these young women. Many of these women became so overwhelmed by religious debuts that it was often short lived; however, some did enjoy a lifelong local repute. It had been often older, more mature women who took root in the evangelical rituals and held strong to their beliefs. Older female members often cherished evangelical fellowship because the church discipline provided some amount of protection. The church provided some protection again drunken and abusive spouses, and male neighbors who slandered women. Although all women held conflicting roles in the evangelical movement, perhaps the most conflicting was the role of the itinerant’s spouse. The itinerant’s wife was expected to be responsible for all the discipline and education within the household. Women were also expected to maintain household authority while their husbands were “engaged in their studies” or “abroad in …show more content…
Evangelical teachings suggested Masters and slave holders should free their slaves. They believed it was wrong to own, trade or sale slaves. African Americans felt as if white Christians were hypocrites and often pointed out the contradictions between God’s Word and slaveholders’ cruelty and inhumanity. William Wells Brown say, “Slaveholders hide themselves behind the Church. . . . A more praying, preaching, psalm-singing people cannot be found than the slave holders of the South.” White southerners found these beliefs extremely conflicting. Some would say African Americans embraced the evangelical movement simple because it went against slavery while others believe it was a strong connection to religious faith. Although African American women were discouraged by men of both races, many developed an unassailable confidence in their spirituality. Religion gave both African American women and white women a sense of purpose. It was one thing they had control over. In the account of one woman, Letty, an African American slave who attempted to repent of her sins and become a Christian asked for guidance from both her master and her brother whom was a slave preacher. Both concluded that Letty was not under conviction and that she should not participate in the church. Letty along with two other African American women eventually began