Roles Of Women In Colonial Times Essay

Words: 1129
Pages: 5

During colonial times women held a number of social and political roles. The common belief was that women were inferior to men and their rights were limited. Men were believed to handle all the hardships such as heavy plowing, planting, and herding stock, whereas women tended to deal with the household chores such as cooking for her children, working in the fields, making clothes, and cleaning. The role of women was dependent on their wealth and status and they contributed to the community in various ways. The division of labor between men and women was one of the biggest conflicts with profiling. Most thought that women weren't as strong, smart, or as capable as men. However, this was not always the case, but it was in many. Women tended …show more content…
She was to educate her children and guide them in the path for morality and virtue. In the past women were commonly viewed as wives and mothers. They were not seen as political figures in colonial times. By the political community accepting women as a part of them, the political world would have to realize that women and mens worlds are completely different. The Republican Mother was a very important development. It justified women’s participation in the civic culture and portrayed women becoming more equalized with men. As Linda Kerber states “Those who shared this idea of a Republican Mother insisted upon better education, clearer recognition of women's economic contributions, and strong identification with the Republic.” However, there were threats to this arrangement. Some women would raise their sons and discipline their husbands to be virtuous republican citizens. This was a problem because mother were not supposed to influence their children or husbands on the decisions that they make. The Republican Mother minimized the amount of political interest in an organized