19th Century Gender Roles

Words: 274
Pages: 2

During this period of time, gender roles had been more sharply defined than ever before. In earlier centuries it was common for women to work with their husbands in family business. However, in the 19th century, more men started to commute to factories and shops to work, while their wives, daughters, and sisters stayed home all day to carry out their domestic duties. In a household, the husband is the head of the household, while the wife’s job was to love, honor, and obey the husband. Their obligations to please their husbands and tend to their children were considered essential to social stability. They were often called “The Angel in the House”. The phrase “The Household General” was coined in 1861 by Isabella Beeton in her book Mrs.