American Women In Colonial Times

To this day, religion is still predominantly patriarchal. There have been, however, exceptions in certain denominations. During American colonial times, women could not even join the church. It was not until over a hundred years after colonization that women could begin the religious candidacy process. Fortunately, as new deities were created, women were given more and more opportunities to exemplify what they had to say for the first time in years. A majority of New Light churches required both male and female candidates to publicly declare their faith before they were fully welcomed by the church. Having the ability to declare their faith without male consent was another larger step in breaking gender roles. Even though women rarely spoke in public, the majority of them still chose to share their stories and express themselves in front of everyone, instead of requesting a minister to read their thoughts for them.
Esther White of Massachusetts proudly gave a “clear and Satesfying account of her [religious] experiences” (MP, p.284).
Declaring their faith and commitment to the church was a women’s only opportunity to truly express her thoughts, while men had the opportunity constantly in courthouses, town meetings, or militia musters (MP, p.284). Reverend Jonathan Edwards’s wife, Sarah Edwards, exclaimed that her “loss of self had helped her overcome her doubts about the authority of her religious voice” (MP, p.283). Even the wife of a reverend felt as if she was trapped from declaring her beliefs, and that the newfound ability to not only put her emotions into words but also be able to shout it from the rooftops was something that was virtually nonexistent for women during that time. These new steps in religion gave women the opportunities to express their beliefs and opinions, while influencing and inspiring all others while also breaking down barriers at the same
time.