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Women's Role In Colonial America

Decent Essays

1. Prior to colonization, women were builders, warriors, farmers and craftswomen. A woman was in charge of gathering materials and building homes. They also made tools and weapons that her husband would use for hunting. Women were well known for their craft work, played a significant role in healing and had the responsibility for taking care of religious items. Their strength was what allowed the tribes to survive. Although women did not have traditional political power, they did have the right to divorce and if her husband did not meet her needs, he could find himself homeless. On the contrary, colonial women were expected to help the men in physical labor tasks so that her family could survive. As time progressed, colonial women took on traditional roles which consisted of house and farm work and raising her children. The men now dominated the women and he chose how many children they would have. She did not have the right to vote and her belongings also belonged to her husband.
2. Women in colonial America had very few rights in regards to freedom and legality. A married woman was represented by her husband who ultimately had control over her; she could not make a will or own any property. On the contrary, unmarried women had more rights compared to …show more content…

The 1920s had changed women forever because they were finally given the right to vote. A young woman during the Roaring Twenties consisted of the iconic flapper which included more provocative clothing styles while smoking and drinking. A young woman now had more freedom and challenged the traditional ways that her mother’s generation grew up in. In comparison to her mother’s generation, there was a dramatic increase of the number of women who left the home and began to work, receive a college degree and learned how to drive. Women could now vote and took men’s jobs while they were away at war. Society changed to allow women’s lives to change because of the economic progress, wages increased and social

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