What was the role of women in colonial America and how did the concept of the ‘American Mother’ impact on its independence? This research task will attempt to answer this question by individually breaking down the nature of colonialism, the role of women during this period (and the different types of women) as well as what exactly the term “American Mother” meant during this period and how it affected the independence of America.
Colonial America is said to have taken place during the period of 1492-1763. “European nations came to the Americas to increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World and the first to settle in what is now the United States …show more content…
Women were expected to get married, have children, work in the home, and obey their husbands. Most women received very little formal education. Although some learned to read and write, many were illiterate. Girls typically learned the skills needed to manage a home from their mother. It was thought that a woman didn't need an education as she was supposed to work in the home. The main job of the woman during colonial times was to manage the home. They were responsible for raising the children, cooking meals and sewing clothes. Women worked extremely hard during colonial times and there was always something to do in order to maintain the house whether it was preparing meals, mending clothes, making baskets, doing laundry, preserving food for the winter, tending to the livestock, making candles, dyeing cloth or working in the garden. Women worked from early in the morning to late at night every day. Colonial women had few legal rights or freedom. They were expected to obey the man in their life whether it was their father, brother or husband. Women were not allowed to vote or hold public office. A married woman's legal identity was represented by her husband and they could be beaten by their husbands and even forcibly returned to their husbands if they tried to run away. Married women could not make a will or own property, however, widows and unmarried women had more rights than …show more content…
An “American Mother” was the the ideal woman. A woman who was submissive, cooked and cleaned. A woman who understood that her place in life would always be below that of a man’s. From the beginning, American motherhood was multi-faceted and complex. In Colonial America, being a “mother” was not a simple matter of genetics. The 18th century brought a transition in the roles of Father and Mother, with mothers influenced by a growing body of literature about child development and the importance of prescribed motherly nurturing. In this era, the “good mother” was the woman who moulded her children for “free society” and the “republican mother” was formed—rewarded with education and an expansion of women’s rights for her increasingly recognised social work (Mintz). Buried in books written by child “experts” like John Bowlby and William Buchan, women felt the stress of character and citizenship development as they raised their children. Beyond feeding and clothing their descendants, women were now at the head of moral and social development for a generation of future leaders. Exiled from the realms of politics and business, mothers became innocent and pure beacons safeguarding and pruning an army of American
Colonial America is said to have taken place during the period of 1492-1763. “European nations came to the Americas to increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World and the first to settle in what is now the United States …show more content…
Women were expected to get married, have children, work in the home, and obey their husbands. Most women received very little formal education. Although some learned to read and write, many were illiterate. Girls typically learned the skills needed to manage a home from their mother. It was thought that a woman didn't need an education as she was supposed to work in the home. The main job of the woman during colonial times was to manage the home. They were responsible for raising the children, cooking meals and sewing clothes. Women worked extremely hard during colonial times and there was always something to do in order to maintain the house whether it was preparing meals, mending clothes, making baskets, doing laundry, preserving food for the winter, tending to the livestock, making candles, dyeing cloth or working in the garden. Women worked from early in the morning to late at night every day. Colonial women had few legal rights or freedom. They were expected to obey the man in their life whether it was their father, brother or husband. Women were not allowed to vote or hold public office. A married woman's legal identity was represented by her husband and they could be beaten by their husbands and even forcibly returned to their husbands if they tried to run away. Married women could not make a will or own property, however, widows and unmarried women had more rights than …show more content…
An “American Mother” was the the ideal woman. A woman who was submissive, cooked and cleaned. A woman who understood that her place in life would always be below that of a man’s. From the beginning, American motherhood was multi-faceted and complex. In Colonial America, being a “mother” was not a simple matter of genetics. The 18th century brought a transition in the roles of Father and Mother, with mothers influenced by a growing body of literature about child development and the importance of prescribed motherly nurturing. In this era, the “good mother” was the woman who moulded her children for “free society” and the “republican mother” was formed—rewarded with education and an expansion of women’s rights for her increasingly recognised social work (Mintz). Buried in books written by child “experts” like John Bowlby and William Buchan, women felt the stress of character and citizenship development as they raised their children. Beyond feeding and clothing their descendants, women were now at the head of moral and social development for a generation of future leaders. Exiled from the realms of politics and business, mothers became innocent and pure beacons safeguarding and pruning an army of American