Marianna
1. During the troubled times of the American Revolution, women had the opportunity to participate in the changing era. Sarha Osborn and other women settled not far from the frontline to help the solders. While the idea of women being away from home and in such environment was a significant change, their duties, however, remained the same. These women assisted soldiers in cooking, washing clothes, and other domestic-like duties. Some historians insist that women’s role in the society was altered due to the arrival of a new religion. Others believe that the change was influenced by the struggle. In both ways, however, women neither could establish their own identity in the society, nor they were able to break away from their traditional duties.
2. The study of women’s history unveiled the important, yet at times ignored, role they played throughout the history. First, to break away from the British, colonists stopped the consumption of imported products. Women actively promoted the replacement of coffee and tea with other beverages and started the production of fabrics. Next, when at war, some female slaves helped the British who promise them freedom. Colonists women became loyalists or patriots while endangering their lives. Native American women managed their communities and participated in the council’s decisions. These political actions marked a definite change of women’s role in the society. However, while many female slaves were freed and Native women’s duties changed due to adaptation, the revolution didn’t have the same affect on colonist women. As colonist men gained broader political rights, women were turned to their domestic duties.
3. The revolution created a new nation. To begin, the woman still maintained her role in the household. Nevertheless, when the man was absent, the woman also added some of his duties to hers. During the war some women managed farms and business, made political decisions, and served their communities. Additionally, the arrival of new ideas, such as religion and philosophy, gave women new perspectives of life. Most of the time their political and economic contributions were ignored. However, women didn’t act in pursuit of acknowledgement but in pursuit of common goal. They helped men in any and every way their socially, economically and individually limited positions permitted. In times of common struggle the nature of human kind proved to unite both male and female.
4. Rush and Murray both agreed in women getting education. To start, Rush believes that women play a greater role in the prosperity of America. Because their husbands have several duties to attend, he argues that women need to get education to be able to help and protect the husbands’ wealth. Next, Rush insists that women should get a some level of education to be able to raise a male child according to the standards of the new government . Most importantly, he points out that women’s education will make the marriage better, for the husband will have someone who will understand and appreciate his success. On the other hand, Murray gives examples of women who successfully achieved an economic independence. She insists, that a woman can be emotionally sensitive and intellectually accomplished at the same time. The revolution expanded the possibilities for female education. However, its idea still remained the same, for women’s level of education was only to assist men.
5. Both Rush and Murray point out that educating women is beneficial for the society. Their ideas, in some ways, coincide with the Republican Motherhood. After the war, the industrial era was gradually emerging. Additionally, the government needed to establish and stabilize the economy of a new nation. Women’s contribution in creating an independent government, while it was overall ignored, was indisputable. Therefore, new schools were established offering women not only to refine their female duties but also to obtain some basic knowledge of different subjects, such as philosophy, languages, history, and geography. While further benefits of educating women were yet to be discovered, at the time they would only be able to better assist their husbands and provide the next generation with higher values.
4 comments:
Response # 1. Tatev
Hello Marianna. After reading your answers I remembered mine. They are very similar. We both express the facts and our opinions without emotions. I know for the last blog I did express my feelings, but this time just by reading and stating the facts, it looks better. I really liked the way you saw Rush’s reason to educate women and the way I saw it. I kind of found negative intention from Rush, because he said that if women do get educated then they can help their husbands. I can see that he wants males to benefit from females. I feel that males always will want to benefit from females if they give them something new. What I mean is that they let women go to schools and get educate, but that only because they saw that it might be beneficial for males of the family. If the males didn’t find anything good for them I doubt that they would ever even think about letting women get education. On the other hand Murray wanted to educate women so they can be independent. Both of them had different reason, but is it really important whet the reason is as long as women get education. I agree with you it is important for society to have educated women because that way not only females will benefit but everybody around them.
Mariam Res #2,
Hello Tatev and Marianna,
I agree with both of you. I also got the same idea when reading Rush’s documents. Although he’s reasons for giving women the opportunity to get educated was to help men, it did women an unintentional favor. Education helped women build an identity for themselves. Tatev, I agree that if men did not feel that they were going to benefit from anything, they would not give women the opportunity to get educated. Like I mentioned in my Res#1 to Bran'd's blog, nowhere in the text did anyone mention that the reasons for changes in government were to improve the lives of women and give them opportunities. The idea that I got from the text was that women need to get educated in order to help their husbands and educate their “sons.” It is obvious that the world revolved around “men.” I also agree that education is vital and everyone should get equal amount of education.
GERALYNN – R1
Marianna, thank you for the indepth answers to the various questions. Your analysis and comprehension for each question is vital to understanding the material. You expressed your ideas in a way that was very easy to comprehend. Thank you! For Section A #1, I completely agree with you on your statement, “While the idea of women being away from home and in such environment was a significant change, their duties, however, remained the same.” Although women did challenge expectations of subordiance by becoming more ‘hands-on’ with the Revolutionary War, the majority of them did perform female duties/roles. I think you could have went into more detail about women challenging traditional roles of religion. Next for Section A #2, I believe you were completely correct and thorough with your answer. The rebellion of imported products, teas, coffee, and fabrics really got the men to notice the power women have had all along! Their “political” actions definately marked a change of the women’s role in society. Lastly, for Section A #3, I appreciate your summarizing answer; I think you covered all the bases. You mentioned women were still habituated in the household but some women were now managing properties and farms, making political decisions and serving their communities. You also understood new perspectives the new ideas of religion and philosophy gave to the women and the binding power a women has in her household and community.
Gohar R#2
Hi Geralynn, you are right about Marianna, she have the in-depth answers to various questions. She gave very understndable answer to each question and expressed her ideas. Such as women being away from home and do their duties. I don't think she should go more detail about women challenging traditional roles of religin.Because it's already very detailed. For Section A#2, I agree with you, By women action, men noticed and realized how much power women have. I also love her summary . It is perfect and detailed also she covered everything.
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