Explain the impact that women made on America and their changing role after the Civil War. If their role did not change would this have changed the future of the nation? Ali Sterner APUSH – Period 4 Shaw January 28, 2011 In American History, women have not exactly had it easy. In colonial times, women were to do strictly house work and take care of the children. This changed after the Civil War, giving women their right to speak up and become more like men.
During the nineteenth century women were considered inferior and expected to be submissive to men; their place is meant to be in the home raising the children and managing the plantation. Stowe considers housekeeping as one of the most essential duties of 19th century women: they have an obligation to govern their staff, manage household finances, and create a “heaven” for their families. Although the "separate spheres" philosophy is limiting because it confined women to the home, it also provides a model for a woman run government that separates from slavery. It is a disgrace for a woman to interfere in the place of men, or the workforce, as it is believed to be only for men. A key example of this would be Mrs. Shelby.
Children were an economic responsibility for women - providing food, housing and clothing until the child was independent and could go out to work to provide for the family themselves. Most working class women worked, as this was an obligation, but this work contrasted hugely to that of their male counterparts, occupying roles of lower skill and less pay. Edward Cadbury in 1909 said that marriage was ‘an escape from work’ Trint, S. History Learning Site 2010-2011. Women’s Rights. www.historylearningsite.co.uk [accessed 07122011].
Women’s social, political and economic roles in the 17th Century The women in the seventeenth century were faced with expressing themselves in a male-controlled system where the importance of women’s views was not an issue. Cultural and political events during the seventeenth century had better attention to women's issues such as education improvement, and by the end of the eighteenth century, women were progressively able to speak out against injustices. There wasn’t a big drastic change in the seventeenth century in the status or conditions of women. The women continued to play a significant role in economic and political structures through their mainly local activities. The women often acted as counselors in the home, soothing their husbands' words and actions.
Women on Rise as Family Breadwinner – Rough Draft “Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too” (Rampell). As per the research conducted on women, more than one-third of the working mothers are now the primary breadwinners. In fact, they are earning more money than their husbands. Though few people are not happy with these changes due to their old thoughts, but, the number of working mothers is increasing drastically compared to previous years (Rampell).
Men really had such great influence over women. While men went out to work, women at that time were only demanded to stay at home, manage the household duties and take care of the children. All throughout their life, the women of the Elizabethan times were forced to become dependent on a male relative, whether he was her father, brother, uncle, and husband. Even the Church believed this and quoted the Bible in order to ensure the continuation to this principle. The protestant Knox wrote that a “Woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” Nevertheless, it is interesting to point out that while the rest of the women of England sat at home and listened to their husbands, on the throne was a woman
He points out that early on social ideology made the husband supreme over the woman in the household, his only obligation was to respect her, hers, to serve and obey him1. According to Shorter, the independence of woman led to her disregarding control on her personal freedom. He states that evidence can be found in existing literature hinting that crucial changes in the status of women were under way after 1750, linking the shifts in some way to economic modernization . Shorter suggest that
Gender Roles Changing in The Last Century Women have come a long way from being confined by the idealized image society held them to. The routine by which all women must live or deny their femininity and stand up for what they wish to do in life. From the necessity to only be the housewife, mother, and wife in which they must be cooking, cleaning, washing, and bearing children they have now become bread winners just like the men and can provide for their families if they choose to and not because that is how society sees it. If a woman would like to break out of being the housewife and work then she shall do so! Women in the work place began with World War I, around 1914.
The Nazi’s were fixed on the idea that a woman’s role was at home, being a mother and a wife. They wanted women to have plenty of children so the birth rates would go up and Germany could form a large army and become a more powerful nation. Working class women were removed from factories and encouraged to stay at home, and middle class women were removed from their professions. They were urged to wear traditional clothing, and behave in a much less liberal way than was allowed during Weimar times. Many middle class women were unhappy about this, and after the freedoms and empowerment of women during Weimar they did not like the new constrictions – it seemed almost like a step back for them.
Parsons argues that the division of labour is beneficiary to the family and society. Division of labour refers to the way that male and female roles are divided within the family home, for example, housework, childcare and paid employment. He says that the division of labour is based on biological differences, so women stay at home to take care of the children because they have a more nurturing and caring personality, and men are tougher and so go out to work to provide for their family. However, feminists argue that the division of labour is not natural and that it only benefits men as they come home from work with everything done, and have nothing to do in the home. Young and Willmot argue for the symmetrical family, which is where the roles are more equal between men and women and where there is joint conjugal roles.