I am not a feminist. At least not in the way people think of most feminists. I never burned a bra, and I don't hate men. Actually I love them. But I do believe in women having equal rights to everything and being strong individuals and not having to rely on men for anything if we don't want too. It hasn't always been that way.
When my mom was growing up, she wanted to be a doctor, but that wasn't something a poor little girl from Detroit thought she could achieve back in 1950. My grandma? She wanted to have a home and raise kids. She collected to-go containers and tiny little figurines. She raised five kids and watched her husband die at an early age of a heart attack. She never really aspired to anything more as it just wasn't done. Her mother? She was unable to vote for much of her life. She never imagined what her fellow women were doing and the road they were paving for their granddaughters. Women in America, and the majority of the world for that matter, have historically been treated as lower class citizens. Only recently, in perhaps the last forty years, have we had opportunities that were once available only to men become available to us.
If you look back in history many societies held women in esteem and the women as well as the men were leaders and held high status in the culture. In many Native American cultures the women held status in the tribe. They could own property and men traditionally joined the women's family. Their lives were defined by their family, however they had many rights and could own their own dwellings and tools. They participated in religious ceremonies and were able to hold positions of power among the elders and could ask for a divorce if their marriage was unhappy (Foner, 2008).
When my mom was growing up, she wanted to be a doctor, but that wasn't something a poor little girl from Detroit thought she could achieve back in 1950. My grandma? She wanted to have a home and raise kids. She collected to-go containers and tiny little figurines. She raised five kids and watched her husband die at an early age of a heart attack. She never really aspired to anything more as it just wasn't done. Her mother? She was unable to vote for much of her life. She never imagined what her fellow women were doing and the road they were paving for their granddaughters. Women in America, and the majority of the world for that matter, have historically been treated as lower class citizens. Only recently, in perhaps the last forty years, have we had opportunities that were once available only to men become available to us.
If you look back in history many societies held women in esteem and the women as well as the men were leaders and held high status in the culture. In many Native American cultures the women held status in the tribe. They could own property and men traditionally joined the women's family. Their lives were defined by their family, however they had many rights and could own their own dwellings and tools. They participated in religious ceremonies and were able to hold positions of power among the elders and could ask for a divorce if their marriage was unhappy (Foner, 2008).
Women in New Netherlands also seemed to have more freedom and independence than many other women in early colonized America. They were able to retain their own identity after marriage and could own property and borrow money. They were often left money in their husbands wills and were able to have business relations with others (Foner, 2008).
Early America was very male dominated and the main purpose of a woman was to make babies and to take care of the children, the home, and were often treated with little respect. Women were not often allowed to learn to read and had to do so in private, unless they were very wealthy.
"Woman is a slave, from the cradle to the grave," wrote Ernestine Rose (Foner, 2008). This was such a true statement indicative of the times in the 1700's and early 1800's. Mary Wollcroft published a pamphlet called A Vindication of the Right's of Women in 1792 where she declared that women should have rights similar to those of men and by 1794 American editions of this pamphlet were published and being read by American women who were beginning to secretly hope for independence and access to education and employment (Foner, 2008).The women's suffrage movement of the 1800's was like the Underground Railroad for women. Women were considered treasonous to talk of such things and could be arrested and prosecuted (Foner, 2008). After marriage a woman basically became her husbands property to do with as he wished.
It was practice that when a woman married she gave away her legal identity and became part of her husbands identity. This practice was called "coverature". She could not own property, sign contracts, keep wages that she might earn, write her own will and testament or even ask for a divorce. She was technically her husbands indentured servant, both as a household laborer and for sexual satisfaction (Foner, 2008) I suppose the lucky woman found a husband she truly loved and was treated kindly, but the majority were bound into loveless marriages and had no idea of what it meant to be free to make choices of their own. Carol Berkin, in her book First Generations: Women in Colonial America, describes colonial women as being "legal incompetants" and in the same category as children, idiots and criminals (Berkin, 1997)
Women were valued more in Colonial America than in Europe as the lifestyle there was much more demanding. There were fewer women than men and the work was very hard. Women did most of the labor around the house, prepareing the food and made the household neccesaeties such as candles, soap and clothing-while the men did the more strenuous labor such as building, plowing and repairs. Without a woman in trhe household the family was unlikely to survive. This did not however mean that the women were considered men's equal. It was far from that, but through their family the had interaction with the community (Sage, 2007).
It is hard to imagine what our lives would be like now if women had remained oppressed. To be bound to a man for my entire life who did not love me and treat me with affection sounds like torture. To have no say in my own welfare, unable to make my own decisions and have no say in what was going on around me would be unbearable. I cannot imagine that our country would have fared well at all, considering that women are huge contributors in all aspects of everyday life. Women still bear the children but also carry many other burdens and wear many other hats as well.
I have to say I do appreciate what our predecessors did for us. Being a woman is something I take great pride in. I am a single mom with a great career, free to choose who to love and when and where to do it. I own my home and I have my own money. I have a life that is full of love and joy and very fulfilling. I know many other women who feel the same way. We have been empowered and will continue to empower our daughters to aspire to even more greatness as they follow in our footsteps. The women of Colonial America that worked so hard never imagined what their great-great grandaughter would be achiveing due to their hard work and sacrifices.
This is all owed to the brave, pioneering women who saw the future before it had happened. They saw what could be and they reached out for it with both arms and took it. Not just for themselves, but for all women. Without these extraordinary women who fought for our civil rights I would not even have had the chance to do any of it. I love being independent and having options. I can't imagine any other way. I give thanks to all the wonderful women who fought before me.
Berkin, C. (1997). First generations: Women in colonial america. New York, NY. Hill and Wang Publishing Co.
I have to say I do appreciate what our predecessors did for us. Being a woman is something I take great pride in. I am a single mom with a great career, free to choose who to love and when and where to do it. I own my home and I have my own money. I have a life that is full of love and joy and very fulfilling. I know many other women who feel the same way. We have been empowered and will continue to empower our daughters to aspire to even more greatness as they follow in our footsteps. The women of Colonial America that worked so hard never imagined what their great-great grandaughter would be achiveing due to their hard work and sacrifices.
This is all owed to the brave, pioneering women who saw the future before it had happened. They saw what could be and they reached out for it with both arms and took it. Not just for themselves, but for all women. Without these extraordinary women who fought for our civil rights I would not even have had the chance to do any of it. I love being independent and having options. I can't imagine any other way. I give thanks to all the wonderful women who fought before me.
Berkin, C. (1997). First generations: Women in colonial america. New York, NY. Hill and Wang Publishing Co.
Foner, E. (2008). Give me liberty! An american history (2nd ed.). New York, NY: W.W Norton & Company, Inc.
Sage, H. (2007). Women in colonial america. Retrieved from http://www.academicamerican.com/colonial/topics/women.htm
