Middle Class White Women

19th Century Middle-Class White WomenContributions to American Identity, Politics and the Economy .

By Joe Mancinelli-Joe Burchill-Chris Gillis 1

American Identity

In the 1800s, the middle-class white American Identity was of an insular and regional nature. For example, if asked to identify themselves, a person would answer, I am a Virginian, or I am a Bostonian. They would identify themselves with allegiances based on the region where they lived. Then, during the Civil War, the identity was divided even further with the labels yankee and rebel, and Union and Confederate. When the war was over, a civic pride, national cohesiveness, and identity began to develop, and middle-class white women were one of the many driving forces that helped this occur.

American Identity19th Century Middle Class White Womens Identities:Cult of DomesticityHomemakersWomens Suffrage2nd Great Awakening ConvertsSchoolteachersFeminismRepublican Motherhood

American IdentityCult of Domesticity:attitude about the role of women and the social relationship of the sexesnatural sphere of women and women's activities was the home and familyless suited to the rough-and-tumble of public lifenatural role as child bearers care givers

American IdentityHomemakers:The economy and the society dictated that women should work in the home, taking care of home and hearth. They could be educated and could study, as long as it did not interfere with their housework (Women in the 19th Century)

American Identity

With the industrial movement happening in America in early to mid-19th century, the opportunity for men to get enough work to support the family was a way of life. Women were no longer needed to help in the family business. Their essential purpose was to take care of the husband and educate the children. The middle class were devoted to the ideal of family and homeAlfred Lord Tennyson's immortal words convey the wife's task to keep the household functioning smoothly and harmoniously: "Man for the field, woman for the hearth, man for the sword and for the needle she; man with the head and woman with the heart, man to command and woman to obey; all else confusion."

American Identity

The demand for the enfranchisement of American women was first seriously formulated at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848).

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for suffrage on the federal level and to press for more extensive institutional changes, such as the granting of property rights to married women.

American IdentitySocial Reforms and Womens Rights:A growing number of women became convinced that they had a special mission and a responsibility to purify and reform American society. Women were at the forefront of efforts to establish public schools, abolish slavery, and curb drinking. (digitalhistory.uh.edu)With the acceptance of women leaving the household to practice and teach religion. The gathering of prayer meetings were the beginnings of womens social organizations, which gave these home-bound women an identity outside the home.With these social gatherings becoming more wide spread and frequent, the women began to organize protests in favor of Womens Rights.

American Identity The Second Great Awakening-

A Religious revival movement during the early 19th century, most converts were middle class white women. A way to shape identities and form community in a time of economic and personal insecurity; (Boundless) -Women became very important informally in conversion and religious upbringing of their children through family structure and through their maternal roles. (Boundless)

American IdentityFurthermore, teaching brought high moral status and an acknowledged public role in improving American society. (ushistory.org)

It was in the 1820s and 1830s that women began to displace men as the overwhelming majority of schoolteachers. This development brought clear advantages to women who increasingly received advanced education to become teachers.

American IdentityRepublican Motherhood:After the American Revolution, as women took a more prominent role in teaching, they needed to be educated themselves,so they could teach the children. The first American female academies were founded in the 1790s. This idea of an educated woman became known as "republican motherhood." (ushistory.org)

PoliticsTurn of the Century- Women have virtually no role in politics.

PoliticsSeneca Falls New York 1848:The FIRST womans right convention ever. It was hosted by, Lucretia Mott, Mary-Ann McClintock, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Main topic covered was Womens SuffrageDeclaration of Sentiments- Was a document that specifically stated the agenda for the Womans right convention. This piece of legislation gave the Womens Rights cause direction and motivation. It paved a path for others to follow and join.

PoliticsNational Womans Rights Convention of 1850:

This public display of unity between many woman, whom over the previous years had been fighting the Womens Rights fight alone, was the first of its kind.

The was a social platform that facilitated and echoed the voices of middle class women, and all women of that time.

These public appearances brought the likes of, Lucy Stone, Paulina Kellogg Write Davis, Kelly Forster, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips and 6 other women to organize this convention.

This convention displayed a strong goal- equal rights politically, legally, and socially.-

PoliticsExcerpt from the Womens Rights Petition of 1854That women are human beings whose rights correspond with their duties; that they are endowed with conscience, reason, affection, and energy, for the use of which they are individually responsible; that like men they are bound to advance the cause of truth, justice, and universal good in the society and nation of which they are members; that in these United States women constitute one-half the people; men constitute the other half; that women are no more free in honor than men are to withhold their influence and example from patriotic and philanthropic movements, and that men who deny women to be their peers, and who shut them out from exercising a fair share of power in the body politic, are arrogant usurpers, whose only apology is to be found in prejudices transmitted from half-civilized and half-Christianized ages.

PoliticsAn Excerpt from the Legislatures responseYour Committee will not attempt to prescribe, or, rather, they will not attempt to define the province and peculiar sphere which a power that we can not overrule has prescribed for the different sexes.This is the Legislature essentially telling the middle class white women that they will change the way things are. That they do not have the right to make matters equal.- Obviouslythey were wrong!

PoliticsTemperance:Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; specifically, moderation, and sometimes abstinence, in respect to using intoxicating liquors.-This was a practice of early womens rights activists, although they work working on other issues. This was a effect of Antebellum reform.

PoliticsNotable Woman of Early Politics:Maria Stewart, one of the first and foremost African American voices to be heard when it comes to the topics of Anti-slavery, promoting education, and economic self-sufficiency. Many women in the future would look up to her and use her ideals as a pathway to a better life for African Americans nation wide. These woman included, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, and Harriet Tubman. She also paved the way for the Grimke sisters. These sisters, on the coat tails of Maria Stewart, Called women to participate in the freeing and educating of slaves.

PoliticsRisks of Speaking your Voice!Women at these conventions were all too often met with scrutiny. Opponents used tactics such as:-Hurtful insults-Throwing of stones

PoliticsFlorence Kelly & Jane Adams-Two middle class women whom fought for race equality and education. They were strong supporters of African American Suffrage.-Both of these women also advocated for African Americans right to vote while they were in the National association for the Advancement of Colored People.(Miriam Cohen)

Politics-In 1869 the National Womens Suffrage Association was founded. This associations main focus was to get the government to allow women to vote.This association was founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton,among other supporters for womens rights.

Economy

Events and Contributors to Womens Emerging Economic Role in 19th Century AmericaEnd of Jeffersonian EraRise of Educated Women Due to Rise of Women in the Teaching ProfessionEra of Good Feelings/Market RevolutionAmerican SystemGrowth of Factories/Industrialization1839- Women Gain Right to Own and Control PropertyIrish Potato Famine/Rapid Growth of Female Immigrant WorkforceHomestead ActSeries of Progressive Gains In Emancipation & Suffrage Movements

Economy

End of the Jeffersonian EraThomas Jefferson believed that women should be home tending to the home, the hearth, and the husband. Women stayed home and did chores and cooked, cleaned, and made soap and shoes and many household items. Politics and Industry/Trade were left to the men. With the departure of Jefferson, womens role started to shift into a more independent nature(varsitytutors.com)

Economy

Emergence of Educated Women

As it is true today, it was true then, that higher education is a means to economic opportunity. Higher education helped women to realize potentials lying beyond their traditional roles in society.(policy.hu)

Economy

Market RevolutionThe Market Revolution in the mid- 1800s gave women reasons to get out of the house and work for the first time, the economy was in the process of shifting from an agrarian to an industrialized one.

Economy

The American SystemThe American System was a system of pro-business tariffs, commerce and internal infrastructure improvement, in which America saw an explosion in the construction of roads and canals, all of which helped to stimulate the economy, and helped goods get to market. Women started to get some skin in the game on the work-front.

Economy

IndustrializationThe American System and Infrastructure opened up the Industrialization of the North, and factories began to spring up in large numbers. Factories needed workers, women were still marginalized, therefore more inexpensive to owners, and instantly factories across the North were bustling with female wage workers. Textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts were a good example of this new phenomena.

Economy

Women Can Own & Control Property For the First time

Economy

Irish Potato Famine /Growth of Female Immigrant Workforce

Economy

Homestead Act of 1862

EconomyAcross the Board Gains in Emancipation/SuffrageThe previously discussed Womens Right Movement was instrumental in helping Women to gain a voice and presence in the American Economy.

Economy

Notably Successful Women in19th Century America1766- Mary Katherine GoddardElizabeth Cady StantonLucretia MottLydia Pinkham(www.entrepreneur.com)

Works Citedhttps://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/politics-reform/essays/women-and-progressive-movementhttp://study.com/academy/lesson/feminism-in-the-19th-century-womens-rights-roles-and-limits.htmlhttp://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/19thcentury/womenandequality/Study.Com; American Political, Religious & Personal Identity in the Early 19th Century, Chapter1, Lesson1; (http://study.com/academy/lesson/american-political-religious-personal-identity-in-the-early-19th-century.html)Quizlet Inc.; Woman Suffrage; 2016 (https://quizlet.com/3835647/womens-suffrage-flash-cards/)IVCC Illinois University; Women in Literature (http://www2.ivcc.edu/gen2002/Women_in_the_Nineteenth_Century.htm)Picture Source: (http://rplatero.wikispaces.com/file/view/048b.jpg/108557141/274x222/048b.jpgClark.edu; WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE CLASS IN THE 19TH CENTURY(http://web.clark.edu/afisher/HIST253/lecture_text/WomenMiddleClass_19c_Europe.pdfhttp://thehumanist.com/magazine/march-april-2012/features/jeffersons-womenhttp://i.ytimg.com/vi/91eJReL13Hc/maxresdefault.jpgScholastic Inc. Grolier online, 2016; History of Women's Suffrage(http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/suffrage/history.htm)Picture Source: Library of Congress via Scholastic.comBoundless. Women and Church Governance. US History to 1877. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 02 Aug. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/users/282574/textbooks/us-history-to-1877-9e5d3c56-f48a-487c-835b-cea71fc7aa09/gender-religion-race-and-ethnicity-in-the-1800s-556/women-in-the-early-republic-70/women-and-church-governance-373-1723/Digitalhistory.uh.edu; Overview of the Progressive Era; Digital History ID 2918 (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=11)\UShistory.org; Social Change and National President, 22e. New Roles for White Women; (http://www.ushistory.org/us/22e.asp)

Works Cited (contd.)

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-acthttps://www.varsitytutors.com/earlyamerica/jefferson-primer/jeffersons-views-womenhttp://www.policy.hu/slantcheva/WomenEducation.htmlhttps://socialchangecourse.wordpress.com/page/16/http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/america.htmhttps://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217929

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