In John Green’s YouTube video, “Crash Course of U.S. History,” he calls women of the 19th century super heroes as a result of how women transformed pre-civil war America as they fought to improve prisons, schools, decrease public drunkenness, and put an end to slavery. As women fought for change and justice for things and people they discovered they also were victims of oppression and trapped within a patriarchal structure. In spite of such oppression women of the 19th century fought for involvement in American democracy and that its why John Green refers to women of the 19th century as “super heroes.” American women of the 19th century participated in reform movements. American women did participate in the American Revolution, but they were expected to get married and have children rather than pursue a career. American women were excluded from participating in the political process but they still improved their status by using motherhood to their advantage by raising educated male children to become future voters, legislators, and doctors. American women became very active in the reform movement by helping to build …show more content…
Rather than women making stuff her job was rather than making stuff, their job was to enable their spouse to make stuff, by providing food, and a clean living space, but also by providing “non-market values” such as love, friendship, and mutual obligation.” The idea of true equality between genders was not embraced and despite the growth in new market economy women’s opportunities for employment were very limited. Women had very low paying jobs and in most states, women had no control over their wages if they weren’t married. Many of these women that found these jobs were in factories, or as domestic servants or seamstresses. Middle class women found work in teaching, but according to the cult of domesticity middle class women’s place was to stay at