Powhatan Women Analysis

The seventeen-century women in America played a major role in general. Despite the fact that early American women are frequently portrayed as weak and occasionally are under appreciated by some writer or society, they were a key in the development of society at the time. They were fundamental to the functioning of the economy. In the articles “The Ways of Her Household and Powhatan Women” we can find evidence of women’s relevant role in the seventeen century. These articles are about two different types of women’s lives. They also reflect how the division of labor allowed women to achieve autonomy and how this factor contributed to the economy and the wellbeing of society despite the differences in cultures. It is important to analyze the different …show more content…
As colonial women, native women also conducted several task on the daily basis. For example, they use to garden barriers, process corn to make the meal, make breakfast and dinner. Powhatan tasks went beyond housekeeping. These women were well respected because of the amount of work they performed within and outside the hamlet. For example, women would get the water for the day near the spring, collected firewood to heat their houses, gather roots and tend the farm and weed. Among of these tasks they also contributed economically by selling corn as well as men. Furthermore, these women used to build their own house, which is amazing. As the author mentions these women used to build a house every time they move, which was frequently (Rountree). On the other hand, men only were in charge of hunting and fishing. This tells us that all of the activities mentioning before were conducted by the women. There two major factor that allowed Powhatan’s women to achieve not just autonomy, but independence and respect. First, Powhatan women used to work and groups with absolute freedom. This allowed them to work with more efficiency because of the support they received from each other. Second, the relationship with their husbands was emotionally independent. In other words, they were not attached to each other. These women had the opportunity of enjoying freedom and respect that colonial women …show more content…
European saw colonial women as inferior, morally and intellectually. European women’s hard work never was recognizing by a patriarchy culture, where only the men was valued. Women needed to be virtuosi because the society was conducted by religion. In the other side, native women were much respected because of their ideology. Women had a transcendental role that made them as important as men. Colonial and native women share the same qualities. They both were hard working women, who were more that mother and wife. These women were productive individuals that in most cases contributed to the well-being of society more than