The role of woman in the 19th century did not change much from the 18 century. Their status did vary based on their social class. The higher their social class was the better status they had and the better opportunities they had. Their class determine their responsibilities, their status, and their "freedoms."
Lower Class White Women Lower class women were often from poor families. They had to work to make money for their families because their families could not afford to survive on their own. Their jobs included working for high class families, doing household jobs such as cleaning and cooking. They also worked as laundresses, seamstresses or nurses. Young unmarried women often worked in mills. These women were mainly between the age of 16 and 25. They were usually paid $1.25, which was a lot for women during this time period. Married women would do their Jobs, and would have to come home and take care of their household and families. These women would work 24/7, which often lead to them being sick. Because of this there was a very low life expectancy for working-class women back then than today. There were also many women from other countries who came to the United States looking for better opportunities. Most immigrants hope to buy and live on small farms of their own. Immigrant women did not usually work in heavy industries but they became a part of the lowest class of industrial labor. They would work in mills and factories, producing textiles, clothing, food, and appliances. Upper Class White Women Upper-class white girls grew up pampered and in luxury. They would often have nannies to take care of them. However this changed when they got married. A married woman would have many responsibilities such as taking care of the plantation and their own households. They would have to nurse slaves, make their clothes, oversee food preparation, and supervise work on the plantation. They were, however, better off than lower class white women in that they had slaves to do and to help with their housework. Many would also have nannies to look after their children. Upper-class white women enjoyed many luxuries that lower class women could not. This included knitting, painting, and other luxurious activities. African-American Women Many African-American women were enslaved during the 19 century. These female slaves mainly worked in the house and did housework or were nannies for their masters children. They would do housework such as cooking and cleaning. However there were some African-American women who worked on the plantation. After working for their masters, and they would go back to their slave quarters and do the housework for their own homes. Many African-American women were also separated from their husbands. They were separated through trade. Most African-Americans could not read or write, however there were a few who could. Free African-American women live mainly in the north. They escaped through the underground railroad to go to the north for better opportunities. Escaping to the north gave these African-Americans a chance to receive education and chance at paid work. Although African-American women were treated poorly in society, they had more "freedom" than white women in that they were more likely to get a job outside the home. Civil War and Women During the Civil War women played a very active role in their households and in local political activities. Some women disguised as men to go fight in the war, while others gathered support in their cities and took care of the household while their family members went off to fight in war. They took care of the plantations, children, and worked in factories to produce ammunition and goods for the war. Many women were actively involved in the war itself. There were several women spies and nurses who would take care of injured soldiers. Overall there was a new respect for women, due to their active role in society while they're male family members were at war. They were seen as responsible and capable of doing work men normally would. Southern slave holding women also had to change their lifestyles after the war. Many slaves were freed after the Civil War, so the slaveholding women had to start doing work for their households on their own. In general women during the 19th century had little to no political rights, could not vote, did not receive a great education, and were seen as inferior to men in society. Because of their lack of education, they were seen as under educated and were not given the same job opportunities in political rights as men. However the Civil War did bring great change to women during this time period. In conclusion, the role of women did not change in the 18 century to the early 19 century, until after the Civil War where they were well respected and society due to their active role in the Civil War. As you may have noticed from our previous blog post, the status of women has improved throughout the centuries, and will probably continue to do so. Hymowitz, Carol, and Michaele Weissman. A History of Women in America. New York: Bantam , 1978. Google Books. |
AuthorSimran and Ananya Archives
June 2017
Categories |