Women's Roles In Early American History

Beginning with the first colonial settlers, the extraordinary conditions and environment of living in the New World began to change ideas about women’s roles and dramatically reshape their lives. Throughout American history, there is a significant amount of evidence that defines the different roles that men and women were expected live by. From Antebellum America’s philosophy of “the cult of true womanhood”1 to the remarkable parts women played in the Civil War, it is evident that the picture of the American woman was changing. This essay addresses only a few examples in which Early American history paved the way for women to evolve and make progress in their constant attempts to be heard and seen as worthy individuals in society. Of the periods studied in Early American history, the era of the Civil War was the time period women were able to have the most direct change in their daily lives and impact the society in which they lived.
To illustrate, all women were affected by the Civil War in some way. …show more content…
By persistence and determination Colonial women stepped out of the cult of true womanhood into Antebellum reform and onward, splitting boundary lines between traditional men and women’s roles once dictated by a culture of society. Throughout Early American History women supported and fought the wars that freed a nation, freed a people, and freed themselves. They became the driving forces that helped shape and define a moral compass for their society by organizing reform groups and influencing political powers. In addition, black women (and men) were no longer considered “chattel property” and the long road to civil rights had begun. In conclusion, this essay has examined only a very small number of examples in which women should be considered history makers