Women in the Early 19th Century

The American test that began as a Republic after ratification of the Constitution created political, social, and stinting participation for its citizens, but not for women. The status of women in the early nineteenth century was shaped by economic considerations, religious beliefs, and long-held notions of female inferiority. bandage suffering, laboring women suffered the most, the characteristics of inequality were evident in all social course of actiones. The appropriate Role of Women in the Early RepublicThe early nineteenth century experience a shift, at least for women in the urban centers of the Northeast, from the household economies that reflected an coarse society to the necessity of linking female responsibilities with their husbands careers. For lower class women, this meant supplementing family income by working either in early industrial mills, as domestic servants, or peddle on city streets. Upper midst class women focused on social endeavors tied to their husb ands employment and continued social upper mobility.This included supervising servants, facilitating parties, and raise the children. Women who voiced any political activism were frowned upon. Perhaps the only place a woman might venture such opinions was around the dinner table. above all, women were equated with virtue and purity. Middle and upper class women devoted time to dowry charities that sought to alleviate the plight of the poor, especially widows and abandoned mothers with children. They worked with Protestant missions and struggle to save poor women from prostitution.Due to the cult of female purity, they were viewed as being the trounce teachers, the moral guardians of society. Women in the Working Class In the early nineteenth century, many Northeast cities, especially port cities, saw an increase in crude mass production industries, as in the first stuff mills. One result was the use of poor class women working for sordid wages, often to augment their husbands meager incomes. Some poor women left the cities during periods of harvest to assist farmers needing cheap laborers.Others earned meager sums vending on city streets. Still others worked in the growing sewing trades or as domestic servants. Single mothers, however, were often forced to rely on the Almshouses and the various charities geared toward the poor. Widows had a particularly difficult time. Historian Christine Stansell, in her 1986 study of New York women 1789 to 1860, writes that widowhood was virtually synonymous with impoverishment. Another result of the changes in female status was the slow decline in birthrates.Historians John DEmilio and Estelle B. Freedman state that, Economic interest encouraged some families to induce fewer children. They demonstrate a possible correlation of the rise of industrialisation and the decline of agricultural pursuits with steadily lowering birthrates throughout the 19th century. jar of Protestant Theological Shifts By the early 19th century, Protestantism had discarded preferably notions of mans relationship to God. This was particularly true of the Calvinist dogma of predestination.Religion focused on an individual relationship with God and placed on man a greater sense of controlling ones destiny. These views were being shaped by Transcendentalism as well as the emphasis on personal commitment coming out of the back up Great Awakening. Such views had a direct impact on sexuality and lowering birthrates. Sexuality was no longer simply a loveless act of procreation. Thus, families limited the number of children based on their economic situation. Still, the ever-changing attitude was not universal and men and women had numerous children, especially in rural, farm areas.Lucretia Mott, an early advocate of womens rights, for example, had six children. Female posture in the Early 19th Century Although the expectations of women in the early 19th century were shifting, their status within a patriarchal society r emained the same. Politically, they were powerless. agate line opportunities were severely limited. Because of the social expectations that tied female dependence on men, angiotensin converting enzyme women and widows were the most vulnerable. Even upper middle class women were doomed to correct to patterns of daily life that were dictated by their husbands.