Women In Colonial America

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After Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, Europeans would rapidly colonize the New World. They would make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean for reasons such as finding riches or gaining religious freedom. The American colonists were originally faced with many hardships, but eventually, life got better after they adapted to their new homes. For the most part, the colonists were satisfied with their new lives; however, many were upset because they were still ruled by the British government. Most Americans were young, and they felt like they were being treated unfairly by the British. They had the desire for change, and this would eventually lead to the revolution. On the eve of the revolution, colonial society …show more content…
In colonial America, women were treated unfairly in many ways. For example, a woman would lose control of her property when she married, and the legal ownership of the property would go to the husband. Only single women or widows could own property. Also, a married woman had no separate identity apart from her husband. On the bright side, some women were able to make an impact on history by using their writing skills. Anne Bradstreet was the first notable American poet and the first woman to be published in colonial America. Phillis Wheatley was the first published African American poet. Her works would help create the genre of African American literature. By writing literature, Bradstreet and Wheatley helped create the pathway to equal rights for …show more content…
This belief is known as republicanism, and it inspired the American revolutionaries. There are several key principles to this form of government. First, the power comes from the people, and the amount of representation is decided by the population. Second, the government is small and limited, and it is responsible to the people. Last, widespread ownership of property is the bulwark of the government. The republican government was much more preferable than a monarchy, which was used in Britain. Today, republicanism is still very important to the United States, and it continues to be one of the most popular political
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