Throughout the 1800s women have been seen as nothing more than a housekeeper. Many people believed that God had assigned women their duties as a wife and mother. The constant pressure of being a woman soon caught up to them. The strenuous work ethic of a woman often left them with poor health, but regardless of health they felt they still needed to continue aiding others and maintaining a clean home. Women also helped aid their family’s income by using their housekeeping skills in other’s homes. Also, women were given new opportunities for education but many were not too fond of the idea of equal education.
Women’s popular readings of the time were filled with advice and encouragement of proper housekeeping. For a woman, maintaining a neat home and always having a gentle inviting smile was considered to be their highest calling.[1] Many women were heavily influenced by the writings of Catherine Beeche. Beeche spent most of her time and energy on trying to convince her readers on the theory that a woman’s duties and work was assigned to them by the nature of God. Beeche even went as far as to create a weekly cleaning schedule and rational kitchen designs for her readers.[2]
Also, many women had to acquire a job to help support the family because more than often a man’s pay could not support the entire family. Women often took up cleaning or cooking jobs for higher-class families, or they could work as a laundress, cleaning and washing clothes, or many other things.[3] After working long hours, women had to continue to work when they got home. They had to maintain their homes, by doing all of the cooking, cleaning, and childrearing. Women were overworked and this led to them becoming physically and mentally ill. Yet they had little money and could not afford to seek medical attention.
Towards the end of the 19th century many medical professionals wrote on the innate health of a woman, or the dearth of it.[4] Medical theories of the time claimed a woman’s normal health condition was to be sick.[5] In correlation to the “separate spheres” theory women made men look like stout, belligerent and vigorous beings which also made men predisposed to the tough working world while women seemed to be more suited for house work and such because of their constant sickly health.[6] Seeking medical attention was almost never an option simply because of costs. Middle and upper class women, on the other hand, were normally able to seek medical attention. Not only did they get care from a medical professional, but also sought help from self-help books and magazines. Aside from learning home remedies in self-help books, women also were able to eventually receive an equal education.
During the early 19th century, women’s education was heavily debated. Critics thought women should not be educated equally as men. Most claim women do not have the mental capacity to learn the same materials men do.[7] However, men were not the only one’s criticizing. Some woman also agreed that women should not get ahead of themselves when it came to education. M. Carey Thomas writes that women’s “brains were too light, their foreheads too small, their reasoning powers too defective, their emotions too easily worked upon” to be anything else aside from a domestic being.[8] However, thoughts on co-ed schools were beginning to change later in the century. Religious leaders encouraged equal education believing it would at least make women literate enough to read and understand the bible resulting in them being able to spread the teachings of the bible.[9] Besides religious reasons, woman can now study home economics, learning ways of efficient housekeeping and being a better companion.[10] Ironically, women with a college education did not marry as often as women without a college education. It seemed having a college education had a subversive effect on women, which was not society’s intention.[11]
Through the 19th century, women go through taxing work, day in and day out. They constantly have to maintain their homes, cook, tend to their children, and in many cases, all while working a job to help their family financially. Eventually work consumes these women and greatly impairs their health making them constantly weak and ill. Educational opportunities had finally come about for women but were looked down upon by some people. When the idea was supported, people intended it to make women better wives and mothers but it was soon realized education was doing the exact opposite.
[1] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[2] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[3] "Women in 19th century America." Women in 19th century America. http://womeninushistory.tripod.com/ (accessed November 14, 2013).
[4] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[5] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[6] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[7]www.units.muohio.edu. "Women's Education in the 19th Century." Accessed November 14, 2013. http://www.units.muohio.edu/mcguffeymuseum/student_exhibits/site/oxford%20college/oxford%20college/WomensEdu1.html.
[8] ERIC - Education Resources Information Center. Accessed November 14, 2013. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ870096.pdf.
[9]www.units.muohio.edu. "Women's Education in the 19th Century." Accessed November 14, 2013. http://www.units.muohio.edu/mcguffeymuseum/student_exhibits/site/oxford%20college/oxford%20college/WomensEdu1.html.
[10] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[11] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
Women’s popular readings of the time were filled with advice and encouragement of proper housekeeping. For a woman, maintaining a neat home and always having a gentle inviting smile was considered to be their highest calling.[1] Many women were heavily influenced by the writings of Catherine Beeche. Beeche spent most of her time and energy on trying to convince her readers on the theory that a woman’s duties and work was assigned to them by the nature of God. Beeche even went as far as to create a weekly cleaning schedule and rational kitchen designs for her readers.[2]
Also, many women had to acquire a job to help support the family because more than often a man’s pay could not support the entire family. Women often took up cleaning or cooking jobs for higher-class families, or they could work as a laundress, cleaning and washing clothes, or many other things.[3] After working long hours, women had to continue to work when they got home. They had to maintain their homes, by doing all of the cooking, cleaning, and childrearing. Women were overworked and this led to them becoming physically and mentally ill. Yet they had little money and could not afford to seek medical attention.
Towards the end of the 19th century many medical professionals wrote on the innate health of a woman, or the dearth of it.[4] Medical theories of the time claimed a woman’s normal health condition was to be sick.[5] In correlation to the “separate spheres” theory women made men look like stout, belligerent and vigorous beings which also made men predisposed to the tough working world while women seemed to be more suited for house work and such because of their constant sickly health.[6] Seeking medical attention was almost never an option simply because of costs. Middle and upper class women, on the other hand, were normally able to seek medical attention. Not only did they get care from a medical professional, but also sought help from self-help books and magazines. Aside from learning home remedies in self-help books, women also were able to eventually receive an equal education.
During the early 19th century, women’s education was heavily debated. Critics thought women should not be educated equally as men. Most claim women do not have the mental capacity to learn the same materials men do.[7] However, men were not the only one’s criticizing. Some woman also agreed that women should not get ahead of themselves when it came to education. M. Carey Thomas writes that women’s “brains were too light, their foreheads too small, their reasoning powers too defective, their emotions too easily worked upon” to be anything else aside from a domestic being.[8] However, thoughts on co-ed schools were beginning to change later in the century. Religious leaders encouraged equal education believing it would at least make women literate enough to read and understand the bible resulting in them being able to spread the teachings of the bible.[9] Besides religious reasons, woman can now study home economics, learning ways of efficient housekeeping and being a better companion.[10] Ironically, women with a college education did not marry as often as women without a college education. It seemed having a college education had a subversive effect on women, which was not society’s intention.[11]
Through the 19th century, women go through taxing work, day in and day out. They constantly have to maintain their homes, cook, tend to their children, and in many cases, all while working a job to help their family financially. Eventually work consumes these women and greatly impairs their health making them constantly weak and ill. Educational opportunities had finally come about for women but were looked down upon by some people. When the idea was supported, people intended it to make women better wives and mothers but it was soon realized education was doing the exact opposite.
[1] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[2] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[3] "Women in 19th century America." Women in 19th century America. http://womeninushistory.tripod.com/ (accessed November 14, 2013).
[4] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[5] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[6] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[7]www.units.muohio.edu. "Women's Education in the 19th Century." Accessed November 14, 2013. http://www.units.muohio.edu/mcguffeymuseum/student_exhibits/site/oxford%20college/oxford%20college/WomensEdu1.html.
[8] ERIC - Education Resources Information Center. Accessed November 14, 2013. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ870096.pdf.
[9]www.units.muohio.edu. "Women's Education in the 19th Century." Accessed November 14, 2013. http://www.units.muohio.edu/mcguffeymuseum/student_exhibits/site/oxford%20college/oxford%20college/WomensEdu1.html.
[10] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).
[11] "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women. http://www.connerprairie.org/learn-and-do/indiana-history/america-1860-1900/lives-of-women.aspx (accessed November 14, 2013).