antebellum women’s history ap us history mcintyre

Antebellum Women’s Antebellum Women’s HistoryHistory

AP US HistoryAP US History

McIntyreMcIntyre

Big themes for this time periodBig themes for this time period

Shift from a legal status that stressed Shift from a legal status that stressed obligations to family to one that stressed obligations to family to one that stressed obligations to the stateobligations to the state

Growing public presence of women & agitation Growing public presence of women & agitation for greater legal & social rightsfor greater legal & social rights

Status of Colonial WomenStatus of Colonial Women

Northeast – Northeast – ““Deputy husbandsDeputy husbands” as ” as

appropriate stand-ins for appropriate stand-ins for absent husbandsabsent husbands

Puritans did have some Puritans did have some laws protecting women laws protecting women from physical abuse and from physical abuse and allowed for divorceallowed for divorce

““Dower rightsDower rights” women get ” women get 1/3 or husbands property 1/3 or husbands property upon his deathupon his death

Love making in Puritan times. Corbis.com


South – South – Some greater Some greater

freedoms in early freedoms in early South due to labor South due to labor shortagesshortages

As slave labor As slave labor crystallizes so does crystallizes so does women’s subordinate women’s subordinate statusstatus Illustration of the Wives of the Settlers

of Jamestown Original caption: Wives of the settlers at Jamestown.Image: © Bettmann/CORBIS


Legal – Legal – CovertureCoverture – British law – British law

that women’s rights were that women’s rights were merged with that of her merged with that of her husband (‘covered’)husband (‘covered’)

Only legal right was who to Only legal right was who to marrymarry

Without husband’s consent Without husband’s consent she could not: she could not:

• Sign legal documents, Sign legal documents, obtain an education, keep obtain an education, keep her wages, or even have her wages, or even have liability for her actionsliability for her actions

Portrait of Sir William Blackstone Original caption: Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780). British jusist. Painting attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds.Image: © Bettmann/CORBIS – Coverture was legally written out in his Commentaries

Women in the RevolutionWomen in the Revolution

Helpers in RevolutionHelpers in Revolution BoycottsBoycotts

• Women are principle Women are principle consumers for householdconsumers for household

• ““Spinning Bees” create Spinning Bees” create homespun as symbol of homespun as symbol of patriotismpatriotism

Wartime helpWartime help• Traditional role as “Deputy Traditional role as “Deputy

husbands” while husband husbands” while husband at warat war

• Support roles in armed Support roles in armed forces forces

Postcard After Betsy Ross Making the First United States Flag Photographed by Fred C. Lounsbury Image: © PoodlesRock/CORBISDate Created: 1903


Hope after the Hope after the RevolutionRevolution Prominent - Abigail Prominent - Abigail

Adams “Remember Adams “Remember the Ladies”the Ladies”

Little public agitation Little public agitation (evidence of some (evidence of some private)private)

Portrait of Abigail Adams after a painting by Benjamin Blythe Original caption: Portrait of Abigail Adams (1744-1818), wife of President John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. After a painting by Benjamin Blythe.Image: © Bettmann/CORBISDate Created: 18th century


Legal status post-Legal status post-RevolutionRevolution Positives:Positives:

• VotingVoting - NJ only - NJ only state to allow state to allow unmarried women unmarried women to vote (not to vote (not dependent)dependent)

• Divorce lawsDivorce laws loosened - loosened - especially PA & especially PA & New EnglandNew England Woodcut of Women Casting Votes in New Jersey

Image: © Bettmann/CORBISDate Created: ca. 1850-1899 Location Information: New Jersey, USA


Legal status post-Legal status post-RevolutionRevolution Negatives:Negatives:

• Dower laws Dower laws erodederoded

• Coverture intactCoverture intact Ex. Anna Ex. Anna

Gordon caseGordon case


Dominant idea of Dominant idea of womanhood that womanhood that emerges – emerges – ““Republican Republican

Motherhood”:Motherhood”: women’s function women’s function in society is to raise in society is to raise patriotic republican patriotic republican sonssons

Liberty and Washington, unknown artist, (1800-1810). New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown.

Cult of DomesticityCult of Domesticity

Cult of DomesticityCult of Domesticity:: Women and men Women and men

naturally suited to naturally suited to separate spheresseparate spheres (home vs work)(home vs work)

Creates ideas about Creates ideas about female vs male female vs male “nature” “nature”

• Women naturally more Women naturally more gentle, emotional, pure, gentle, emotional, pure, pious, submissivepious, submissive

• Men more aggressive, Men more aggressive, rationalrational

Illustration of a Family Relaxing at Home by Marguerite Davis An illustration from the children's book Good Times with Beverly.Image: © Blue Lantern Studio/CorbisDate Created: ca. 1933


Why?Why? Industrial revolution Industrial revolution

separate men & separate men & women’s work, disrupt women’s work, disrupt familiesfamilies

It becomes women’s It becomes women’s job to keep family job to keep family “pure” and perfect“pure” and perfect

Exceptions – working Exceptions – working class women and class women and slavesslaves

Strike by Boris Mihajlovic Kustodiev Image: © The Gallery Collection/CorbisCreator Name: Boris Mihajlovic Kustodiev Date Created: 1900-1927


Consequences: Consequences:

Positive: Positive: • Greater access to Greater access to

education for education for womenwomen

Founding of Founding of women’s schoolswomen’s schools

• Ex. Mount Ex. Mount Holyoke, Holyoke, Harford Female Harford Female SeminarySeminary Mt. Holyoke College Postcard Image:

© Lake County Museum/CORBISDate Created: ca. 1900



Positive: Positive: • Publications – Publications –

Catherine Catherine Beecher’s Beecher’s Treatise Treatise on Domestic on Domestic EconomyEconomy

• Women’s Women’s magazinesmagazines – – Godey’s Ladies Godey’s Ladies BookBook "Godey's Fashions for January 1868" Catalog Illustration

with Bridal Dresses from Godey's Lady's Book Image: © Cynthia Hart Designer/CORBISPhotographer: Cynthia Hart Date Photographed: 2001 Date Created: 1868



Positive: Positive: • Work – TeachingWork – Teaching – –

women enter women enter workforce in workforce in “common schools”“common schools”

• ““Mill Girls”Mill Girls” – – textile millstextile mills

Exterior of Boott Cotton Mill Original caption: Exterior view of the Boott Cotton Mills at Lowell, Massachusetts. Undated engraving.Image: © Bettmann/CORBISLocation Information: Lowell, Masschusetts


Consequences:Consequences:

NegativeNegative::• Limited access to Limited access to

professions (law, professions (law, medicine) as against medicine) as against women’s delicate women’s delicate “nature”“nature”

• Segregation of public Segregation of public life life

Ex. 4Ex. 4thth of July of July celebrationscelebrations

People Watching Fireworks from Lahaina Harbor Image: © Jon Hicks/CorbisPhotographer: Jon Hicks Date Photographed: July 5, 2007 Location Information: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, USA

Thinking Slide:Thinking Slide:

Was the “Cult of Domesticity” a positive or Was the “Cult of Domesticity” a positive or negative development for women?negative development for women?

Women & ReformWomen & Reform

Reform movements as Reform movements as springboard for women’s springboard for women’s rightsrights

Women move from being Women move from being moral forces in homes to moral forces in homes to moral forces in societymoral forces in society

Teaches women public Teaches women public speaking, leadership, speaking, leadership, organizing, fundraisingorganizing, fundraising

• Utopians (ex. Ann Lee)Utopians (ex. Ann Lee)• Garrisonian Abolitionists Garrisonian Abolitionists

Ex. Grimke Sisters, Ex. Grimke Sisters, Lydia Maria Childs, Lydia Maria Childs, Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe The American author Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-96). She became famous for her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) and her most popular books deal with New England life.Image: © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBISPhotographer: Notman Date Photographed: ca.1850-60 Location Information: United States

Women & ReformWomen & Reform

Reform movements Reform movements as springboard for as springboard for women’s rightswomen’s rights But not in the SouthBut not in the South

• These same beliefs not These same beliefs not extended in South extended in South towards Southern towards Southern women or slaveswomen or slaves

Butterfly McQueen and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind Original caption: Butterfly McQueen is shown here as "Prissy" in David Selznick's production of Gone With The Winds, an MGM 1939 movie. At left is Vivien Leigh, as Scarlett O'Hara.Image: © Underwood & Underwood/CORBISDate Photographed: 1939

Women’s rights MovementWomen’s rights Movement

Emerges out of Emerges out of abolitionism & abolitionism & growing level of growing level of female educationfemale education Elizabeth Cady Elizabeth Cady

Stanton & Lucretia Stanton & Lucretia MottMott

Seneca Falls Seneca Falls ConventionConvention

Declaration of Declaration of SentimentsSentiments

Eizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Original caption: Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), founders of The National Woman Suffrage Association, are shown seated together at small table. Sarony photograph circa 1881.Image: © Bettmann/CORBISPhotographer: Napoleon Sarony Date Photographed: ca. 1881

Civil War & Women’s RightsCivil War & Women’s Rights

Changing Changing expectations during expectations during wartime:wartime: General jobs - General jobs -

Nurses, spies, Nurses, spies, taking care of taking care of homehome• Ex. Dorothea Dix, Ex. Dorothea Dix,

Clara Barton, Mary Clara Barton, Mary Ann Bickerdyke, Ann Bickerdyke, Rose O’NealRose O’Neal

Civil War Volunteer Clara Barton Sitting by Clock Clara Barton, under President Abraham Lincoln's charge for sending supplies to civil war soldiers, holds a pair of gloves next to a table and clock.Image: © Bettmann/CORBISPhotographer: Brady-Handy Studio Date Photographed: ca. 1860s


Changing expectations Changing expectations during wartime:during wartime: South South

• Growing politicization of Growing politicization of womenwomen

• Less excited over time Less excited over time due to fears of slave due to fears of slave revolt & having to do revolt & having to do “unladylike” chores“unladylike” chores

• Some government jobs, Some government jobs, nursing opportunitiesnursing opportunities

Civil War Nurse An unidentified nurse writes a letter for a wounded soldier during the American Civil War.Image: © CORBISPhotographer: Unknown Date Photographed: ca. 1861-1865

Civil War & Women’s RightsCivil War & Women’s Rights Changing expectations Changing expectations

during wartime:during wartime: North North

• Organizations like Organizations like Sanitary Sanitary Commission, Red Commission, Red CrossCross

• Women’s Women’s movement put on movement put on hold after war – it hold after war – it was African was African American men’s American men’s turnturn

Ex. 15Ex. 15thth AmendmentAmendment

Headquarters of the USSC in 1864 (Brady) ; http://www.forttejon.org/ussc/ussc.html


Changing Changing expectations after the expectations after the war:war: Freed slaves Freed slaves

• Women often wanted Women often wanted “cult of domesticity” but “cult of domesticity” but whites resisted loss of whites resisted loss of black women’s laborblack women’s labor

Freed Slave and Wife A freed slave and his wife living in a run-down plantation house in Greene County, Georgia. July 1937.Image: © CORBISPhotographer: Dorothea Lange Date Photographed: July 1937

Video ClipVideo Clip

Ken Burns Ken Burns Civil WarCivil War ““She Ranks Me” (5 minutes)She Ranks Me” (5 minutes)

Thinking slide:Thinking slide:

How significant is the South’s resistance to How significant is the South’s resistance to expanded rights for women? What can we expanded rights for women? What can we as historians learn from this?as historians learn from this?

antebellum women’s history ap us history mcintyre

Documents

husbands property

bettmanncorbis slide

death dower rights women

divorce dower rights

legal right

absent husbands puritans

century slide

actionssign legal documents