The Scientific Revolution

Women of the 18 century and Today
Rodney Pittman
Grantham University

Women of the 18 century and Today
The Scientific Revolution which occurred in the years 1550 to 1700, introduced the idea that the universe and everything in it worked accordingly to the laws of nature which were discovered by means of reason. The reasoning was straying away from previous thinking which entailed that God was the creator of the universe and had complete control over individual lives. Women have always been effectively contributing in the field of science since earlier times. They made great sacrifices for the accomplishment of scientific endeavors. Women faced many challenges in getting themselves accepted in the field of science.
Despite being born into a middle class family, Maria Sibylla Merian came from a disadvantaged life. Merian lived with disease and death throughout her life. Her father was a Swiss engraver and publisher who died when Merian was only three years old. A year after her father's death, her mother married a painter, who brought children from his previous marriage. In order for a middle class business to survive everyone in the family had to work, so at twelve years of age Merian and her mother had to provide for themselves due to her husband leaving once his children were grown up. They continued to run the family business that her stepfather and half-brother has established. Merian, however, was not the only girl who had a life of struggle, many women at that time were left to struggle when left by death or abandonment. Sophie Germaine, a middle class girl of the 18th century, was a daughter whose parents were apprehensive towards her interest in academics. Born in Paris in 1776, Germaine was born into a wealthy family. She soon developed an interest in Mathematics at the age of thirteen. When she stumbled upon a book about Archimedes in her father's library which described how Archimedes was so engrossed in the study of a geometric figure in the sand that he failed to respond to the questioning of a roman soldier and as a result he
Today, many women don't easily see how they can have children and meet the schedule required for a scientific career. It can be difficult to juggle both the demands of being out in the field conducting research while having a family, but as former president of the association of women in science, Donna Dean says, it is achievable. According to Dean there aren't enough role models for young women who hope to start a career in science. If you don't see anyone like you Dean says "then you wonder how you're going to do this, a lot of young women may be chosen early on not to pursue something because they believe it's too hard, but it's possible. Merian and Germaine, two young women who battled against the social prejudice of the era, were revolutionaries. With a lack of formal training, Germaine succeeded in becoming a celebrated mathematician while Merian is remembered as someone with singular focus on metamorphosis and in a larger sense, the importance of studying the animal’s habitat along with its anatomy. It is important that young women today recognize that they can be successful in scientific careers as these two women were. Women should not be intimidated by a field that is considered male dominant, for centuries before them women not too different from themselves were doing just that, ultimately making great discoveries for which they are remembered