To what extent did women’s lives change 1850-1901? Women’s lives may not have changed a great deal between the years 1850 and 1901 but the changes that did occur did have an impact on women’s lives. Though there may have been some much bigger changes that came after this time period, it was the changes that happened in these years that kick started the change for women politically and socially. In 1850 women’s roles within society were extremely restricted and they had very limited opportunities. Women were expected to marry, have children and financially they were expected to be fully dependent on their husbands.
Firstly, whether a family live in a symmetrical family or not will have an effect on the divisions of labour. March of Progress theorists (Liberal Feminists) such as Young and Willmott argue that family life is gradually improving for all its members, becoming more equal and democratic. For example, women now go out to work, just as men now help with housework and childcare. However Radical Feminists reject the ‘March of Progress’ theory, and argue that women remain unequal within the family. Anne Oakley argues that we still live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society, and therefore women occupy a subordinate and dependant role within the family and wider society.
He warns women against vocations of preaching or politics, explaining that they can influence public opinion in their homes and communities.” They were strictly housewives and were destined to raise children. As the Industrial Revolution began, the women became more active in the labor force. The Industrial Revolution seemed to be a turning point for many women. Due to the Civil War and the start of the Industrial Revolution, women became involved in more labor-intensive jobs. Although the Industrial Revolution started before the war, with men leaving to fight for the Confederacy or the Union, women needed to start taking the places of men.
The Pill In order to understand the Sexual Revolution, one must be aware of the world in which it took place. The Great War had just ended and the United States was in a period of great economic boom. The baby boom generation was just being born and many married couples were looking to enjoy this time of new freedom and change. Not long after, the birth control pill came along. The pill would be a leading cause in the Sexual Revolution.
Abigail Adams believed women should be educated and be recognized for their intellectual capabilities, so they could guide and influence the lives of their children and husband instead of being companions. Three reasons why men shouldn’t be given unlimited power are because women and men should have equal powers, education and property rights. Would you want to live a life where the husband treats you as a slave and he’s the master? Or where women are ignored and do not have any property rights? While John Adams was attending the Continental Congress to support American independence, Abigail Adam asked her husband to “remember the ladies” (pg.
Women DBQ Between the American Revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War, the ideals of womanhood were changed-not necessarily significantly-and evolved into a more “positive” image for woman. The idea of Republican Motherhood that took root during the American Revolution, which basically labeled women as having the job to train their children (especially male), eventually transformed into the idea of a Cult of Domesticity, which gave women the sole task of caring for the home and leaving real jobs and politics to the men. These ideas of Republican Motherhood and a Cult of Domesticity, along with the household traditions of women long-established over history, greatly influenced the lives of women during this period. The concept of Republican Motherhood began around the start of the Revolutionary War. The main concept of this role of women was that their purpose was to educate their sons properly and to make sure that when they grew up, they would be functional and hopefully upstanding members of society.
Rudimentary Roles? Women in Colonial America After the transition from a patriarchal society in England to the more democratic society in the New World, women began to have a more important role in the lives of the new settlers. Both genders had to do their own share of labor. King James I stated that “he who will not work shall not eat.” During the busy and tough times of the early settlements, the same saying applied to the females as well. Their importance in colonial America would be shaped through the roles of maintaining household and farm order, encouraging faith and moral development, and the role of a subordinate to men.
While Wollstonecraft talks about co-education, one can infer that women are at least educated on a basic level. Pizan lives in a society where royalty is still prevalent and societies’ thinking is very narrow. The era that Pizan lives in is very uneducated and women are looked as not having a life unless it benefits the man. Although Wollstonecraft parallels to that in a way, one can tell that women have a greater importance in her time period. Many debates have happened whether or not these women approach feminism for their time period.
The magazine was popular amongst woman of all classes and demographics. While feminist magazines like Chatelaine were not the basis for significant sexual reforms in the fifties, they encouraged women to think for themselves; this style of thinking laid the groundwork fundamental to the sexual revolution that was to unfold in the next decade. Starting in the sixties, Canadians began to form families at a much later age. Socialists noted that this pattern corresponded with the declining stability of marriages. This pattern can be attributed to socio-economic factors.
Victorian Era Marked the Start of Feminism The Victorian era was a period of self-definition, but it was also a time of major changes. One major change that shook the foundation of religion was Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin’s theories helped question the possibility of religion as a manipulation tool for women. Oppression of women based on religion became obvious to the feminist activists and social issues, such as prostitution due to gender inequalities, and poverty, were brought to light. The Victorian period marks the beginning of change for feminist activists.