Women During Revolution Era

Women During Revolution Era

Majority of white women in the 18th century spent their days performing many tasks in and around their homes. Women on average gave birth to between five and eight children. Women did not have any political voice in colonial America. During the war against England, slaves found the presence of British troops as a possible way for them receive freedom. Many of the slaves left their masters and found freedom in Britain. Some women on the other hand, found work as nurses doing the most subordinate, low-level tasks in military hospitals.

A movement began to improve the education of women to give them more means to support themselves. Women began to play a greater role in the public sphere by participating in various reform movements that arose from the 1820s, especially the temperance and abolition movements. It is very important how the early social reform movements were to women's rights were.

Abigail Adams was one of the first advocates of women’s equal education and women’s property rights. Abigail Adams had been unable to convince John Adams and the Continental Congress to grant women more rights as they shaped the new national government. Therefore, Elizabeth Cady Stanton used the most important document which was the Declaration of Independence. It was as a model for the Declaration of Sentiments, which she presented at the first Women's Rights Convention.

Revolutionary war women were able to play a significant role, specifically because men looked down upon them. Because women were considered too uneducated to understand complex military strategies during the American Revolution, men spoke freely around them. Therefor, they made great spies, providing food and peddling wares to enemy camps while listening for important information. One of the most important times in history was the era for Revolution. Women finally got the chance and right to speak and say their opinion. It is always fascinating to learn more women who were involved during the revolutionary era. Women during Revolution Era was absolutely my favorite.

Women In Colonial Times

Colonial Women In America

The early women and settlers were expected to help the men in a variety of hard labor that was essential in survival. As time passed the lives of Colonial women became more traditional roles of women which related to taking care of the house or farm and raising the children. The work roles were dependent on wealth and status of the women.

Through resource sharing, I learned that the legal rights of Colonial women were few. Men dominated society and women were subservient to the men in her family such as her father and bothers. Divorce was practically unknown as Colonial America. Women in real communities had some social power through informal channels. They worked together through childbirths and funerals. Selling and buying milk, butter, or thread was what most women did. Privacy did not exist during that time and social control mattered from sexuality to economic transaction remained primarily external and often in the hands of the women who had one job, "gossip".

In the novel Born of Liberty, in Colonial societies, women who delivered children outside of marriage were faced many burdens. They were brought to court where they were accused of adultery or fornication. Some of these cases led to legitimating marriage and some women just received little support. However the children automatically became servants and had no choice.

This chapter was the most informational. Learning that women had commercial opportunities during that time was pretty impressive to know. Economic success lead to separation in men's and women's religious as well as economic activities. It gave me a background of information of how women were treated during Colonial times. The reading of "Born Of Liberty" was very interesting and where I learned the most. Finding our own links through resource searching was interesting because of us found different information's of Colonial Women. It was more informative to do research and learn about the assignment. Almost every bit of the information above, I learned through reading the book and research.

Native American Women

In the first chapter of Born of Liberty, it focused on the first women in Native American tribes. About 20,000 years ago women had different value in each tribe. For example, in this chapter it talks about the Iroquois tribe. Women gathered seeds, fruits and other food necessities. Man were frequently away for long time and women farmed in a very organized matter. They were very powerful and controlled their tribe. They were very well respected. Daughters became the most important people in the tribe. They controlled the land and the distribution of all food.
It talked about how Algonkian Indian women seized the opportunity to start trading in European goods.  Among the group of Indian women, there were some who married fur traders that created economic and cultural pattern. The marriages that occurred between Indian women and fur traders resulted a very strong and lasting alliances. They lived in social and economic structure that was based on their husbands work in the European trade. When the men went to Europe to trade, most women were abandoned and didn’t see their husbands for a while. Indian women were very active in trading. They interpreted linguistic and diplomatic abilities to their husbands. Using their skill they trapped small animals.
Around the 19^th century the Lakota culture arose. There were strong separation between men and women. There was something called “Double Women Dreamer”. They Lakota women believed that dreams of Double Women cause them to behave in aggressive masculine way. They had the power to almost put a spell like on men and seduce them. They were very determined and were fine to live alone in wilderness. They were warrior women and manly hearted.

In conclusion, Europeans couldn’t be a strong women tribe like the Iroquois.  The reading of the chapter was very easy and it taught the reader various points about women. It was very interesting to learn more about these Native American women. It almost gets you addicted to learn more and more. Do more research about these tribes. The Iroquois held a strong example for how a women can play an important part in democracy and politics. The gender difference did not allow them to do something but instead it pushed them to become leaders.