Colonial_Women

Colonial Women The role of colonial women changed immensely during the American Revolution. Women fought to be heard, while living on the edge of political life, coping with the fact that men occupied the public space of politics and work. This long struggle for equality helped women in gaining the strength and determination they needed during this time. Nevertheless, women did not win these rights they hoped for. Instead they were cast in a new role: Republican Motherhood. “Although Republican Motherhood improved women’s educational opportunities and offered them a public role of sorts, it stopped far short of conferring legal equality and full voting citizenship”. (introduction 45) Prior to the Revolutionary war the “main contribution of the colonial women was to bear and raise their children” while men would take on tasks such as hunting, fishing and farming. (lecture, 1/24) Women remained at home “engaging in important household tasks such as spinning, weaving, baking, washing and food preservation and preparation.” (introduction, 42) Occupied with their everyday tasks women never left the confines of their own homes restricted to the knowledge and choices they could obtain. Most women did not know how to read or write while women, men, republican, while, war, revolution, women’s, tasks, strength, rush, role, rights, political, motherhood, lecture, introduction, during, children, values, struggle, property, politics, idea, husband, equality, colonial, although, vote, time, thought, society, right, revolutionary, restricted, required, public, potential, period, owned, opportunities, one, occupied, new, mother, making, long, ladies, instead, helped