Preview

Women Reform Dbq

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1120 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Women Reform Dbq
DBQ
During the time period from the end of the American Revolution to the Civil War, American womanhood changed greatly. Due to differing beliefs during the time the American women’s ideals became to change. At the time, main beliefs were the “republican motherhood”, or the thought that women had power in the country’s politics in the sense that they raised the next generation, and the “cult of domesticity”, or the thought that women should be submissive, moral, and take care of their husbands and family. These beliefs greatly limited the power of the women in the 18th century. Due to these ideas, such as the “republican motherhood” and “cult of domesticity” during the time period from the American Revolution to the Civil War, women started to leave their old set place at the home and family to work in factories and fight for equality.
From the American Revolution to Civil War, women were regarded as beneath man and were treated as that. Benjamin Rush’s, Thoughts upon Female Education, illustrates the “republic motherhood” belief. He based his opinions on this popular belief which thought that women should be educated since they taught the children who would grow up to be a part of the nation. Benjamin Rush thought that women should only be educated “to concur in instructing their sons in the principles of liberty and government”. Furthermore, women were viewed as inferior to man. In Putnam’s monthly magazine of American literature, science, and art, “Women, and the ‘Women’s Movement’”, the belief of “cult of domesticity” is voiced. This thought that the women’s place was at the home and purpose was the take care of their husbands and families. The magazine states that the “natural inequality of the sexes…enables women to be the fountain of unmixed blessing she is to man” lessening women’s importance in society. Also, John Henry Noyes, who left Putnam, Virginia to create the Oneida Community, often times stated that women were less than men and even referred to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    From the 1815-1860, two events changed the role of woman in society forever. From a social, political and cultural standpoints The antebellum market revolution and the second great awakening both played key roles in changing the woman’s role in the family, workplace and society.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terms for Chapter 1

    • 2927 Words
    • 16 Pages

    7. Discuss the changing ideals of American womanhood between the American Revolution (1770’s) and the…

    • 2927 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because of this very reason and the unfavorable conditions that single women were put through, most of them would decide to marry and once they did so it was mandatory that they quit their job. A woman’s happiness relied on the ability of keeping her husband content. The Separate Spheres both empowered and oppressed women in the 19th century. Women tried to introduce family values into…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    DBQ reform movement

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The statement “Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals” is a very valid one, in regards to the years of and between 1825 and 1850. This statement bears great truth, and highlights quite simply the inclusion of egalitarian and suffragist ideologies in many and most reformative movements of this time period.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    I postulate that advocates for women’s education during the new republic period believed that if their ideas were wrapped in concepts about how women’s education would benefit men and society, these ideas would be better received and create a greater impact within the new impressionable nation. Republican motherhood offered a platform for activists that would be accepted by society and allowed women to become more educated and involved in the public sphere. Many writers, especially Wollstonecraft and Murray posed very progressive concepts of full equality that may not have been accepted within society. Wollstonecraft stated, “Let woman share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of a man.” However, the powerful statement for women’s equality is followed by, “Meek wives are, in general, foolish mothers.”…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As American women's roles evolved over time, women were confronted with contradictory messages about their place in society. Traditional ideals about women met new challenges with each generation, from outside forces like war and economic depression, and from the activity of women themselves. This caused many women to struggle with societal expectations that did not fit their reality, and with an identity that did not fit expectations. Colonial society delegated to women the job of protecting and sustaining the morality of the people, yet it refused them a public forum in which to do so; the nineteenth century ideology of domesticity presented a standard of maternal care that could not be universally achieved; the twentieth century offered women the opportunity for education, independence, and a place in the labor force, but expected her to return to her proper place in the home after marriage.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I have selected the Women’s rights reform because I admire the bravery of women who stood up for their equality and rights during the 19th century even though they were often abhorred on. During the 1800s, the position of women was legally and socially inferior to men.. They could not vote and own property if they are married. When the abolition and temperance movement arose in the 1830s, women saw this as a chance to get involved. Soon enough, Women reformers began to publicize not only for temperance and abolition, but also for women’s rights, saying that men and women are created equal and should be treated as such under the law. Eventually the three movements merged together. Not only did women benefited from this movement, but slaves as…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dbq Women's Rights

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page

    The first reason why this period was so essential to the equal rights of women was the fact that they now held many new political statuses. Political statuses changed for the better and is a main component for women's success during this period. For three reasons it was a main component women could form labor unions, political positions were available for the first time, and could volunteer for high end jobs for USOs or the Red Cross. Now many women flooded the workplace as men went off to go fight in the war. Women were always viewed as dainty and stupid. When women worked before the war they were viewed as minorities and were discriminated out labor unions. Now that women dominated the workplace, for the first time they were able to finally…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Race and class shaped women’s lives in North America during the Revolutionary Era in many different aspects of their lives. In the textbook and our handouts, there are various different examples of what life was like for these women in the Revolutionary Era. In the letters provided in Through Women’s Eyes:An American History with Documents, we are given primary sources of what women’s lives were like for those of various classes and races. The writings provide us with the insight needed to evaluate how a woman’s race and class impacted the aspects of their lives including the living conditions, education, values and or morals, their roles during the era, working conditions, and their health during this era. During the Revolutionary Era we are…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Women Role in Late 1700s

    • 1902 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In the mid to late 1700's, the women of the United States of America had practically no rights. When they were married, the men represented the family, and the woman could not do anything without consulting the men. Women were expected to be housewives, to raise their children, and thinking of a job in a factory was a dream that was never thought impossible. But, as years passed, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell began to question why they were at home all day raising the children, and why they did not have jobs like the men. This happened between the years of 1776 and 1876, when the lives and status of Northern middle-class woman was changed forever. Women began to leave the house and begin work, and also began movements for equal rights for woman. They made large strides for equality, and really came far from where they were in 1776; however, they still were not close to having equal rights as the men in 1876. Many women campaigned to improve their lives, increase the wages of working women, and expand employment opportunities for women. This widespread effort became known as the temperance movement, and made a lasting impact on society, specifically the lives of Northern middle-class women.…

    • 1902 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1800’s women’s work exhausting, difficult the society was unappreciative. Women who couldn’t afford slaves to help were put permanently on household duties. Women would cook, clean, make clothing, take care of domestic animals, hunt, fish, and protect their family. There was a lot of work to be done as a colonial woman, especially since most had more than 8 kids to take care of. The wife of a family was an essential component. Without a strong and productive wife a family would struggle just to survive. Yet even though women had worked extremely hard day in and day out to ensure care of their family they were not allowed to speak among men, could not vote, and could not take part in government decisions.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, women were not just going to continue to be ignored and realized if they would want a better lifestyle, they would need to have the ability to vote to allow their voices to be heard. An early activist for women’s rights, Abigail Adams, spoke to her husband John Adams about her ideals and mentioned “As to your code of laws, I cannot but laugh.” John Adams allowed the view of the saying “All men are created equal” to stay as just men and allow women to be excepted from being included into the policies of the new country as it is forming in. Women had held a high role in participating role in the war, Deborah Sampson Gannett enlisted twice disguised as a man, meanwhile Ester DeBerdt Reed and Sarah Franklin Bache created the Ladies’ Association of Philadelphia which raised funds for soldiers fighting in the war. Women had a critical role in fighting in the war knowingly there was no political power for them in the new republic, but created a shift in white women roles based on the republican role that allowed a push of ideals that would allow women to vote. While women were still compressed to their republican values during the revolutionary period it also created a spark of imagination that would allow them to push their views through the minds of white males to have their voices heard by gaining the right to…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Second Great Awakening

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Although it did not improve the lives of slaves, the antebellum market revolution transformed the home into a separate sphere for women and increased the importance of a white woman’s role as a wife and mother within her family (Doc C). The market revolution provided payment in wages allowing people to purchase products outside of their home with money. As a result women did not have to make as many products at home. Home, previously a center of economic production was now transformed into a place of refuge after a long hard day at work. Much like the idea of republican motherhood, the cult of domesticity expressed the responsibilities of a wife and mother. It presented this concept of how the moral power and authoritative decisions made by these women shaped the lives of their families (Doc G). While white middle class women this increased domestic power, black slaves continued face hardships. Many black mothers were bought without their children and therefore forever separated. (Doc B).…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gender equality for women has become a prominent issue in American society in recent years but is not a new idea. The concept and struggle for equality, both of race and gender, go back to early periods of American history, many of which are characterized by struggle and development. A common example of this is the Civil War time period in America’s history. With many complex and intricate struggles as well as demands making up the war, many changes were made in the post-war period, including the role of women and the civil rights they believed in. Due to the developing nature of America in the Civil War time period, women’s rights and responsibilities were…

    • 1569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Womenhood dbq

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The ideals of womanhood have been in constant change since America gained its independence from the British. The importance of women changed between the American Revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War. From the Revolutionary war, women were seen as teachers and gained a new and more important role in the home. This helped foster the emergence of the cult of domesticity which gave women the task of taking care of the home and being the center of the home. Republican motherhood revolved around women being educated. Republican motherhood and the cult of domesticity would not have been achieved without the issues of race and class.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays