Module 5: Women in Revolutionary America:
Was the Revolution revolutionary for women? How so, how not? Were women better off after the Revolution or before?
To some, women’s position in pre and post-revolutionary America on some levels resembled that of slaves. Every possible institution from religion to laws to education or the lack thereof to job opportunities, just to name a few, were employed to disenfranchise women and keep them from claiming positions of power and wealth. The revolution was indeed revolutionary for women in a slow somewhat gradual process. Although they held similar ideologies of equal rights and freedom to their white male counterpart during the war, when it was all said and done they had to embark on yet another journey to gain equal rights with white male America.
Before the war, women in colonial America were subservient to their husbands. They held ideologies that reflected that their place was in the home as childbearer and companions to their husbands. This is evident in Lucy Winthrop Downing’s writing where she claims “a true wife accounts her subjection, her honor and freedom…” (Faragher, p.71). These ideologies were a spillover from the laws of Great Britain. One such example is an English law summarized in a document of 1632 entitled “'The Lawes Resolution of Womens Rights': In this consolidation which we call wedlock is a locking together. It is true, that man and wife are one person, but understand in what manner….Her new self is her superior; her companion, her master….” (Zinn p.83). As a result of this law, man’s “superior” position in society was indoctrinated in the minds of women. Men enjoyed wealth and status by exploiting his wife earnings, labor and anything of monetary value.
Women’s contribution during the war was pivotal in many respects. They served their country in many capacities – as nurses, seamstresses, and spies and also accompanied the armies in the capacity of wives, prostitutes, cooks and launders (Faragher p.181). Not surprising, they also served on the battlefields as in the case of Molly Pitcher who took her husband’s place continuing to fire cannons after he was killed. However, it was the wives of important politicians who showed any remote semblance of clout or influence in the society. For example, Abigail Adams (wife of John Adams) and Mercy Otis Warren (sister of the Patriotic James Otis, Jr.) who “turned their home into a center of Patriot Political activity scorning Loyalist (Faragher p.171). These women are the ones who history recognizes while the contributions of others continue to be overlooked or are mentioned only in passing. Women’s role in the war was also pivotal in helping to break from the indoctrinated “superior” white male ideologies. By making contribution in all spheres of society while the men were at war, women, for the first time, realized they could do everything their white male counterpart were doing. For example, they were taking charge of the family farms, businesses, taking care of the home and in some cases marching on the frontlines - an important feat toward equal rights.
Was the Revolution revolutionary for women? How so, how not? Were women better off after the Revolution or before?
To some, women’s position in pre and post-revolutionary America on some levels resembled that of slaves. Every possible institution from religion to laws to education or the lack thereof to job opportunities, just to name a few, were employed to disenfranchise women and keep them from claiming positions of power and wealth. The revolution was indeed revolutionary for women in a slow somewhat gradual process. Although they held similar ideologies of equal rights and freedom to their white male counterpart during the war, when it was all said and done they had to embark on yet another journey to gain equal rights with white male America.
Before the war, women in colonial America were subservient to their husbands. They held ideologies that reflected that their place was in the home as childbearer and companions to their husbands. This is evident in Lucy Winthrop Downing’s writing where she claims “a true wife accounts her subjection, her honor and freedom…” (Faragher, p.71). These ideologies were a spillover from the laws of Great Britain. One such example is an English law summarized in a document of 1632 entitled “'The Lawes Resolution of Womens Rights': In this consolidation which we call wedlock is a locking together. It is true, that man and wife are one person, but understand in what manner….Her new self is her superior; her companion, her master….” (Zinn p.83). As a result of this law, man’s “superior” position in society was indoctrinated in the minds of women. Men enjoyed wealth and status by exploiting his wife earnings, labor and anything of monetary value.
Women’s contribution during the war was pivotal in many respects. They served their country in many capacities – as nurses, seamstresses, and spies and also accompanied the armies in the capacity of wives, prostitutes, cooks and launders (Faragher p.181). Not surprising, they also served on the battlefields as in the case of Molly Pitcher who took her husband’s place continuing to fire cannons after he was killed. However, it was the wives of important politicians who showed any remote semblance of clout or influence in the society. For example, Abigail Adams (wife of John Adams) and Mercy Otis Warren (sister of the Patriotic James Otis, Jr.) who “turned their home into a center of Patriot Political activity scorning Loyalist (Faragher p.171). These women are the ones who history recognizes while the contributions of others continue to be overlooked or are mentioned only in passing. Women’s role in the war was also pivotal in helping to break from the indoctrinated “superior” white male ideologies. By making contribution in all spheres of society while the men were at war, women, for the first time, realized they could do everything their white male counterpart were doing. For example, they were taking charge of the family farms, businesses, taking care of the home and in some cases marching on the frontlines - an important feat toward equal rights.
After the war women suffered a major setback. The 1776 Constitution of New Jersey, by granting the vote to “all free inhabitants who met the property requirement,” enfranchised women (Faragher p.200). Men, realizing that women had an equal number of votes protested and were able to pass a law which limited voting to only “free white male citizens.” Later, as more women became more educated and began to get become more involved in anti-slavery small strides were made towards equality. In 1848 the modern Women’s Suffrage began with the Seneca Falls Convention. The Convention adopted
a “Declaration of Sentiments” similar to the “Declaration of Independence” which used appeal to pity to declare that women had been disenfranchised in their their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. It would take decades of unwavering effort by legions of women to attain one of the Declaration’s demand: the right to vote. Although women’s rights, especially the right to vote would not immediately follow the revolutionary war it provided the foundation to a journey for which women would embark upon.
Works Cited
a “Declaration of Sentiments” similar to the “Declaration of Independence” which used appeal to pity to declare that women had been disenfranchised in their their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. It would take decades of unwavering effort by legions of women to attain one of the Declaration’s demand: the right to vote. Although women’s rights, especially the right to vote would not immediately follow the revolutionary war it provided the foundation to a journey for which women would embark upon.Works Cited
Faragher, John Mack. Out of Many: A History of the American People. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 2006.
Sigerman, Harriet. A Place At The Table: Struggles for Equality in America. Road Trip for Suffrage, Cross Country 1915 p. 67.
Zinn, Howard: A People’s History of the United States Volume 1: American Beginnings to reconstruction: The New Press, New York, 2003.
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/expref/crusader/seneca.html
Images Cited
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/suffrage/intro.html
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