The Role of Women in American Society Pre-1865

The American Revolutionary War (1776-1783) and the 19th century Industrial Revolution represent two periods in United States history where the roles played by women were expanded or altered. Though the adoption of full legal rights for women has been a gradual process, both events set precedence for the social and political changes that were necessary for subsequent women’s rights movements to develop. An analysis of the changes to the roles played by women in society during the American Revolution and Industrial Revolution reveals that the social disruption created by both historical events contributed to the expansion of personal and economic freedoms for women in American society today.

The Women’s International Center documents the foundational beliefs on gender relationships that influenced the role of women in Western society. As the organization noted, the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible and the Greek myth of Pandora are examples of foundational tales that establish women as a source of temptation and immorality (Women’s International Center). Further, Roman Catholicism had an established history of asserting the moral inferiority of women. Demonstrating the diminished role of women in the Church, Saint Jerome described women as the “gate of the devil,” and Saint Thomas Aquinas expressed the belief that women were only useful to men for their role in procreation (Women’s International Center). Further, Western law enforced the subordination of women to men. Roman law referred equated women to children while English common law required married women to forfeit their properties to their husbands upon marriage (Women’s International Center). Borrowing from these traditions, early America held that women and children were the possessions of their husbands (Women’s International Center). Removing these legal and social restrictions on women would become the chief objective of women’s rights efforts in the United States.

The American Revolutionary War serves as the first period of widespread disruption that altered the role of women in American society. According to Branson (2008), the war provided several opportunities for women to expand their participation in society (p. 50). First, women helped the war effort on the home front through the role of “deputy husbands,” while their husbands were fighting in the conflict (2008, p. 52). Second, women increased their political role by participating in boycotts against the British and signing non-importation agreements (2008, p. 52). Third, women worked from their homes to produce uniforms and other products for soldiers away at battle (2008, p. 52). These expanded roles held significant implications for the social roles filled by women during the war.

Though the role of women was still mainly regulated to the domestic sphere, the absence of men greatly expanded the autonomy that women experienced. For example, Holton (2007) documents the successes that Abigail Adams experienced in managing household financial affairs while John Adams was participating in the post-war negotiations. In her husband’s absence, Abigail Adams was able to purchase government bonds and make land speculations that yielded a large profit (2007, p. 822-823). Further, the American Revolutionary War had a significant impact on slavery. African American women were able to secure greater freedoms during the conflict. As Branson noted, many African Americans allied joined sides with African American male slaves who were recruited to serve in the British army (2008, p. 56). Former slave women and children were granted freedom for their loyalty to the British and allowed to stay in army camps during the war (2008, p. 56). Further, slave women who remained in captivity enjoyed greater autonomy while slave masters were away in conflict (2008, p. 56). While the domestic component of the role women served in society was not completely abolished, women enjoyed brief expansions in their societal role during the American Revolutionary War.

The next key event to dramatically alter the role of women in American society was the 18th century Industrial Revolution. Initially, the Industrial Revolution decreased the standing of women in society. According to O’Malley, many historians contend that women experienced greater equality in an agricultural economy because farms relied on the labor of both men and women to thrive. However, by 1850, the household goods that women produced could be manufactured and made readily available (O’Malley). As the market replaced the work traditionally performed by women, the role of women became a topic of debate. As O’Malley noted, the Industrial Revolution presented conflict over whether women should be encouraged to fill male-dominated roles in society or whether they should remain bound to the domestic sphere. While the developments of the Industrial Revolution held both positive and negative implications for women in society, they served as a turning point that greatly increased the influence of women in the public sphere.

As Dublin noted, the emergence of the textile during the latter 18th century altered the conditions of women by increasing the role that women played in the labor market, politics, and reform activities. Between 1830 and 1860, women from rural New England communities were heavily recruited by textile mills and accounted for the growth of the industry (Dublin). Because young women relocated to pursue employment with textile mills, they were no longer under the direct control of their fathers and were able to save their wages to obtain financial independence from their families (Dublin). Further, the poor labor conditions during the Industrial Revolution generated greater political participation among female laborers. For example, the Ten Hour Movement was founded in 1840 to protest excessive workdays and the Lowell Factory Girls Association was formed in order to address the broader concerns of textile laborers (Dublin). As Dublin asserted, female labor activists eventually expanded their protests to include wider social causes, such as abolitionism.

As the cases of the American Revolutionary War and the Industrial Revolution demonstrate, disruptions to the order of society were often accompanied by an expanded role for women in the public arena. During the American Revolutionary War, the prolonged absence of men led to increased domestic freedoms for American women. Further, the conflict with Britain provided women with opportunities to expand their role in the political and military cause. African American women especially received the opportunity to improve their conditions by aligning with the British in exchange for freedom. During the 18th century Industrial Revolution, women gained key freedoms that led to a permanent expansion in their social and political roles. The opportunity to gain economic independence and escape the control of their households allowed industrial women to organize around economic and establish a permanent movement for women’s rights. The freedoms that women obtained during these two pivotal events set the foundation for the rights and freedoms that women in American society enjoy today.

References

Branson, S. (2008). From daughters of liberty to women of the republic: American women in the era of the American Revolution. In S.J Kleinberg, E. Boris, V.L. Ruiz (Eds.), Practice of U.S. Women’s history: Narratives, intersections, and dialogues (pp. 50-66). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Dublin, T. (n.d.). Women and the Early Industrial Revolution in the United States. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved September 21, 2013, from www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/jackson-lincoln/essays/women-and-early-industrial-revolution-united-states

Holton, W. (2007). Abigail Adams, Bond Speculator. The William and Mary Quarterly (pp. 821-838). Williamsburg: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture.

O'Malley, M. (n.d.). Exploring U.S. History | women and equality. Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/19thcentury/womenandequality/

Women’s International Center. (n.d.). Women’s International Center - Honoring, Encouraging, and Educating Women Around the World at www.wic.org. Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm