Changes In The Role Of Women

Changes in the Role of Women

Women have always been considered throughout history to be inferior to men. They were seen as senseless, incapable, and an insignificant gender. Changes began to happen between 1790 and 1860. Economically, Women were now able to work, gain money, and help their families. Domestically, there was the great appreciation for women in the households now instead of just expecting their place to be there.

Women’s role became functional and necessary to the economy's functioning. For example, New England women were regarded as active agents in the domestic economy. It must be remembered that throughout the colonial period and much of the 19th century, the American economy, for the most part, centered on the rural household, whether large plantation or individual farm. The household was a basic unit combining production and consumption, and woman occupied a central role in this economy, working generally in or near the house, with her needle or spinning wheel, her broom and the implements of child-rearing. Her role was functional and necessary to the economy's functioning, just as was her husband's role in the field, or in a craft, or at a mercantile or maritime occupation were. In addition, the Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the whole nineteenth century. It brought technology to make life much easier, economic growth, and most importantly, allowed women to work. Before the Industrial Revolution, women usually had domestic jobs such as sewing and making household materials. During the Industrial Revolution, there were now women in factories, even though it was still unusual and mostly New England girls. It was a start that women could make money, send money to their families, and have economic independence. But at the same time these women were very guarded, had to work about thirteen hours a day, and were escorted to church. So to an extent women were not exactly free to roam about the earth as now but this was the start of...