What Role Did Carol Berkin Play In The Lives Of Colonial Women
These women unknowingly would start the long journey to women gaining civil rights and equality. Carol Berkin gives a glimpse into what life was like for colonial women and their children. When reading about the lives of colonial women we see the themes of inequality, sexism, and oppression repeat themselves over and over. It is clear to me that colonial men did not see how important a woman’s role and how it affected the success of her family. These women were alone with no one to help them fight against the many injustices they faced.
Inequality existed not only in the lives of colonial women but their daughter’s lives as well. Carol Berkin writes about Mary Cole and specifically draws our attention to the education Mary Cole received. “Mary’s …show more content…
Marriage may have brought protection for these women, but in turn they lost the right of being their own person. United in marriage women were one under their husband. Women were treated as property of their husbands and expected to be subservient to him in every way. Anything a woman brought into the marriage such as property, belongings, and even her body, were his. Women may inherit part of their father's estate which might have consisted of land, slaves, livestock, or moveable property. Once married it all would become her husbands and he was free to do with it what he pleased. When a couple had children if divorce took place the children stayed with the father. A married woman had no rights and was not acknowledged by the courts. “A woman was a legal incompetent, as children, idiots, and criminals were under English law.” (14) The oppression and inequality experienced by these women was their primary reason to want to stay with their Native American …show more content…
Berkin writes “Women and men shared authority in many of the Algonquin societies. Women’s economic power and their institutionalized role as community leaders and family heads stand in stark contrast to the temporary, informal, and often limited authority of their colonial English counterparts.” Unlike life in the colonies where women had no voice or authority women in the Native American culture were highly respected and often were the head of their family. Native American men and women had gendered divided roles but were equal. Native Americans valued women, they were necessary in the circle of
Inequality existed not only in the lives of colonial women but their daughter’s lives as well. Carol Berkin writes about Mary Cole and specifically draws our attention to the education Mary Cole received. “Mary’s …show more content…
Marriage may have brought protection for these women, but in turn they lost the right of being their own person. United in marriage women were one under their husband. Women were treated as property of their husbands and expected to be subservient to him in every way. Anything a woman brought into the marriage such as property, belongings, and even her body, were his. Women may inherit part of their father's estate which might have consisted of land, slaves, livestock, or moveable property. Once married it all would become her husbands and he was free to do with it what he pleased. When a couple had children if divorce took place the children stayed with the father. A married woman had no rights and was not acknowledged by the courts. “A woman was a legal incompetent, as children, idiots, and criminals were under English law.” (14) The oppression and inequality experienced by these women was their primary reason to want to stay with their Native American …show more content…
Berkin writes “Women and men shared authority in many of the Algonquin societies. Women’s economic power and their institutionalized role as community leaders and family heads stand in stark contrast to the temporary, informal, and often limited authority of their colonial English counterparts.” Unlike life in the colonies where women had no voice or authority women in the Native American culture were highly respected and often were the head of their family. Native American men and women had gendered divided roles but were equal. Native Americans valued women, they were necessary in the circle of