American Womanhood Dbq

Justin Reichert 12/18/13

AP History Period 2

American Womanhood

American Womanhood became an issue for the young nation when women started to feel as if they wanted t be granted the same rights and freedom as a male citizen would. Although women were frowned upon when they first started believing the idea of equal rights, over time, it eased into society and influenced many to support women. During the Revolution, there were many times where women had to take care of the family while their husbands were at war. This influenced women to return back to their domestic roles and made them believe in equal rights, not just for women, but for all citizens.

The letter written by a Philadelphia woman in Document A portrays how women were restricted from the everyday wants or needs. The writer had to restrain her spending and rely on homemade and household products. She says “that as free as I can die but once, but as a slave I shall not be worthy of life.” This statement shows the commitment to the public good and freedom that women desired around the time of the Revolution.

Benjamin Rush states in Document B that women should instruct “their sons in the principles of liberty and government.” Although he believed every citizen should have a stake in liberty, he felt that women should only be educated for the purpose of making male children educated in the roles of society and government. With that said, the educational purposes for women improved after the revolution, for the reason of educating male children. Also, this slight improvement of education for women helped them serve a limited but expanding political function.

In Massachusetts, the leading occupations for wage-earning women was were the production of hats, textile, boots, and shoes (Document C.) At this point, women were part of the paid...