1. The Role of the American Woman 1650-1900 By: Sophia Roces

2. Women during the Colonial Era 3. Family Primary role as wife and mother Married at 13 or 14 years old; it was socially unacceptable to be unmarried by age 25 Had an average of 8 children Family caregiver; reared and educated children, cared for sick family members 4. Work Responsible for the upkeep of the household: cooking, cleaning, tending the fire, and making candles & clothes Often worked alongside her husband on the farm or plantation, or in a shop; she was given a say on some business decisions and largely 5. Women during the Revolutionary Era 6. War Effort Many followed their husbands to war camps, working as cooks, laundrywomen, and even nurses to earn small wages and rations Some engaged in espionage, and even fought in the war, themselves! 7. Home Front Oversaw the family farms and stores while husbands were away at war Produced goods to support the army, and for Patriots, enable the boycott of British goods Republican motherhood 8. Women during the Early National Period 9. Jobs Went to the cities to work in textile mills (ex. Lowell, Massachusetts) for 6 days a week, 12+ hours a day, in poor conditions, earning pitiful wages Lived in urban boardinghouses with other factory girls Other feminized jobs included teaching, nursing, and domestic service 10. Womans Sphere Quit work upon marriage Cult of domesticity gave women higher positions in the household, but limited them to the domestic sphere to care for family, be moral guides for their children, and submit to their husbands Families were smaller and more tight-knit 11. Women during the Civil War 12. War Volunteers Thousands volunteered as nurses on the war front War effort on the home front was kept up, with women helping to provide food, clothes, money, and blankets to soldiers Many women took mens factory jobs Cult of domesticity importance diminished; womens roles changed 13. Women during the Gilded Age 14. Independence Many were college educated Postponed marriage 1 out of 5 adult women in the workforce, about 95% were single Worked clerical jobs and sales positions, earning their own money (less than men) 15. Activists Maternal commonwealth Womens Christian Temperance Union rallied for alcohol prohibition Jane Addams Hull House inspired the profession of social work for women National Association of Womens Suffrage 16. Continuity Most important job was to be a mother and wife Feminized work, usually domestic Comparatively low(er) wages Society set ideals for women to live up to Necessity > ideals 17. Change Greater responsibilities for women in the family More women in the workforce Wider range of jobs Female independence Voices for women in society 18. Works Cited Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History. New York, NY: Amsco School Publications, 2010. Print. "Colonial Women." Portland State University, 1 Oct. 2001. Web. 10 June 2014. . Brooks, Rebecca B. "The Roles of Women in the Revolutionary War." History of Massachusetts. N.p., 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 June 2014. . Courtney, Gillian. "Contributions of Women during the American Revolution." Women in the American Revolution. N.p., 12 Mar. 1999. Web. 09 June 2014. . Danyluk, Kaia. "Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army." Colonial WIlliamsburg. The Colonial WIlliamsburg Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 June 2014. . http://www.ushistory.org/us/39c.asp http://www.history.com/topics/american- civil-war/women-in-the-civil-war#section_5