Changes In Colonial Englishwomen
Conditions changed for Englishwomen over the colonial period in America. In early colonial period men, woman and children traveled to America to settle. This was unusual because usually young men are going first to the frontier then woman and families follow afterward. The families coming to America together created a tight knit community where they had public elementary schools for the children to learn to read. More Englishmen than Englishwomen who came to Massachusetts could read. Some woman in Jamestown worked at the tobacco farms and in other colonies may have done other sorts of labor. At the time women’s labor belonged to their husband. In the early 1600s many Puritans, like John Winthrop, who came to America from England followed the
bible and believed that the bible says that wives are subject to their husbands. The law did not allow the woman to sell property, sue, or sign legal contracts. The law allowed only men the power to do those things. Protestants broke away from the Catholic Church practices when leaving England and emphasized bible reading, discussion and participation of all members including women. In the mid-1600s a Quakers came to America and they encouraged women to speak at religious services as much as men did. In the late 1600s The Salem witch trials started. The Puritans believed that witches are people whose soul has made a contract with Satan. They also believed that people who are susceptible are women who are able to make choices in life such as being unmarried, widowed or widowed with inheritance. Also, women with knowledge that men don’t have including midwives where seen as dangerous and susceptible to Satan. Lastly, in the 1700s efforts were made to restore religious sensibility that was lost after the first generation of Puritans. This leads to a change in authority from the preacher to the people. A preacher had to gain a following to have strong authority which gives the people the power including woman. Conditions changed for Englishwomen over the colonial period in America.
bible and believed that the bible says that wives are subject to their husbands. The law did not allow the woman to sell property, sue, or sign legal contracts. The law allowed only men the power to do those things. Protestants broke away from the Catholic Church practices when leaving England and emphasized bible reading, discussion and participation of all members including women. In the mid-1600s a Quakers came to America and they encouraged women to speak at religious services as much as men did. In the late 1600s The Salem witch trials started. The Puritans believed that witches are people whose soul has made a contract with Satan. They also believed that people who are susceptible are women who are able to make choices in life such as being unmarried, widowed or widowed with inheritance. Also, women with knowledge that men don’t have including midwives where seen as dangerous and susceptible to Satan. Lastly, in the 1700s efforts were made to restore religious sensibility that was lost after the first generation of Puritans. This leads to a change in authority from the preacher to the people. A preacher had to gain a following to have strong authority which gives the people the power including woman. Conditions changed for Englishwomen over the colonial period in America.