What Role Did Class Play In Puritan Men

Submitted By rjudge21
Words: 353
Pages: 2

2. How were women and children treated relevant to men?

After reading the long list of liberties concerning the Freemen, I saw the two measly liberties for women. Albeit, it was two more than I was expecting. The first safeguard women were granted was that if a man did not leave sufficient portion of his estate at his death, she could apply to the General Court for remedy. Women were also protected from physical assaults, such as whippings, and could complain to authority. If their parents died without having male heirs, their daughters would inherit as co-partners. I found that surprising since around this time women were thought of as minors and lived under the authority of their husbands. Children could also complain to authority if their parents unreasonably denied them timely marriage or if "they exercise any unnatural severity towards them."

3. What role did class play in Puritan societies? How were people of different classes treated?

People from different classes are always going to be treated differently, but even the servants had some liberties in Puritan societies. The servants could flee from the tyranny and cruelty from their masters and escape to another house of any freeman of the same Town and be protected. I would say close to servants in the class hierarchy were strangers and foreigners and they were also protect somewhat. Ships or vessels that suffer shipwreck on their coast would be safe from wrong or violence, but they would be harbored and