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Essay On Colonial Women

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The life women in the American colonies was treacherous, yet rewarding. There was so much death and sickness around at the beginning of the new world it is a wonder anyone survived. Had it not been for the nurturing and healing offered by women, this country may have never gotten itself off the ground. Women took care of the home, and the family and this remained the main focal point of the American colonial women. Although women’s lives changed exponentially over the century and a half, especially during the market revolution and the second great awakening, the true belief of what a woman was remained unchanged. Women were the nurturers of their family. Beginning in 1605 when women began arriving in the colonies, they cooked, cleaned and raised their children to the best of their abilities. Women had little to no education and most could not …show more content…

One famous instance is Mary Wollstonecraft, who had a child out of wedlock and did not marry the father. Mary was self-educated and supported herself by writing fiction, non-fiction and translating literary works. But what truly makes her stand out was her 18th century book on the rights of women which she stated rights and liberties pertained to everyone, men and women. Another woman who vocal about women’s rights was Abigail Adams who did not hold back any when it came to expressing herself to her husband John Adams. Abigail implored to her husband as he was drafting the Declaration of Independence to not forget women who were a part of the new world and deserved a voice. Abigail just like Mary was mostly self-educated and valued education. Although these are only a few women of the 18th century that were staunch supporters of women gaining a voice in politics and life in general, it was not until the Second Great Awakening and the Civil War that women were more vocal and on the front lines of political

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