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The Investigation of White Women’s Living Conditions in Colonial America

Author: WangXiuHua
Tutor: ChenHaiHong
School: Shandong Normal University
Course: World History
Keywords: North America Colonial period White women Living conditions
CLC: K712
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2008
Downloads: 102
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Abstract

In 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of women’s history ,new social history was in unprecedented development in the United States. New social history emphasized the research on the lives of the common people. It emphasized particularly to study history from the common people’s angle. New social history had a great influence on the research of women’s history. The research object of women’s history started to be changed, from the upper women to the bottom women, and so did the range of research, which expanded from politics to daily life, marriage, family and thought. In the text I tried to study the living conditions of white women in colonial America from the angle of history, women’s study and sociology and put forward my own view on the status of white women in colonial America. The text consists of five parts:The first part mainly tells the background including the brief introduction about sources of white women and two kinds of issues concerning white women’s status in colonial period . Some white women migrated to the new world with their families, some were bewitched by wonderful publicity and went to seek "a better life" voluntarily, others migrated as indentured servants. On the status of white women in colonial America, there were two academic views in the United States—"golden age" theory and "myth" theory.The second part is the investigation to the lives of girls. The obedience and humility to parents was unique in colonial period. Many orphaned girls became indentured servants, assisting with endless chores under the owner’s harsh control. The purpose of girls’acceptance of education was to cultivate more pious religion followers and more qualified wives and mothers.The third part is the investigation to the lives of adult women. Colonial marriage based on the needs for survival, husband was the head of the family, wife lost her independent status and numerous rights; childbirth was a painful and frightening experience at that time; single women were derisive by the people, but they had the same property rights and degree of legal identity as men, with the sole exception that these women could not vote. Women’s lives were primarily limited to the scope of the family, but many women begun to enter the industry that men were engaged; women subordinated to men in the church as well, but many religious pioneers began to fight for the equal status; many women were dissatisfied with the lower political status, they took positive action and participated in public affairs, and won the reputation and praise with their wisdom and talent.The fourth part is the investigation to the lives of aged women and the funeral custom. Aged women were generally respected and admired by the people, which was the typical characteristic of colonial era; funeral customs varied according to different religious beliefs.The fifth part is the conclusion. After the investigation of white women’s living conditions of different ages, the conclusion is following: the status of white women in colonial America was higher than that in Europe, but was much lower than men’s status in North America. The reasons which made the white women’s status lower than men’s were following: the old tradition of discrimination against the women, private economy system and the limitation to women’s education. The reasons why the white women’s status was higher than that in Europe included the objective conditions of the colony, the law of colonial period and the spirit of pursuing freedom and equality which was widespread in colonial period.

The Investigation of White Women’s Living Conditions in Colonial America

Abstract

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