Women During Colonial Times

The lives of women during colonial times were drastically different than from today. Women were expected to be married at a young age, have children, operate a household, and obey their husbands. Despite encountering restrictions put on them, women played an important role in the growth and survival of the American colonies. In many ways, it was the strenuous work of women that the United States was built upon. If I had to take one thing from colonial history and apply it to my own life, I would advocate how far womens’ rights have come.
One thing I am most thankful for is my education. Looking back in time, most females received very little scholarly education. According to Ken Nelson, “although some learned to read and write, many were illiterate.” Often, the only time they were taught to read was to learn how to read the bible. Females were rarely even taught to write their own name. Girls typically only learned skills that were necessary to manage a home and this essentially was a mother’s job to teach them. It was thought that a woman didn't need an education as she was supposed to work in the home.
Despite the fact that their time was not spent on the battlefield with guns in their hands, they were responsible for raising children, cooking meals, doing laundry, tending to the livestock, and working in the garden. When all of the daily chores were done, there was always something to be done to prepare for the upcoming seasons whether it was mending clothes, making baskets, weaving and dyeing cloth, making candles, growing herbs to make home healthcare remedies, or preserving food for the winter. Women worked from sun up to sun down every