Page 32 - Historical Fiction.pdf

and taught to be subordinate to them. This be to please your husband and make him
definitely differs from women?s rights today and happy.?(Spectator Magazine). As a child,
how much more equality they have gained over women had to be subordinate to their father
time. and then they became a feme covert; her

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries brought identity and property was transferred to her
English Protestants who sought to purify the husband upon marriage. There were times,
Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, however, where women, unlike men, stepped

maintaining that the Church of England had not outside their traditional gender roles. Men
been fully reformed and needed to become more did not need to because they had all the
Protestant. They settled and founded Boston, freedom they wanted and there was no need
Massachusetts. However, the laws of Puritan to. Women lacked that freedom though.
society were strict, especially for women. Women in power made men feel out of
control and unable to make sense of their
position. The insecurity the men felt, led to

Puritan Women's Rights their harsh treatment to women. Women who
?broke the roles? faced public ridicule, and
For women, growing up in Puritan society sometimes legal reprimand for their actions,
included learning how to behave and what to do ?In the late 1600s, trials for fornication and
from their mothers. They were also taught by the infanticide specifically directed at women
Primer (to a increased.?(?Gender Roles in Colonial
lesser extent than America?).
boys) what
it meant to
be good
Imagine you live in the sixteenth and and what it Let your Dress, your
seventeenth centuries. In Puritan society. As a meant to Conversation and the
woman. You might not know what your life be bad. By whole Business of your
How women?s would be like then. Let me tell you. the time life be to please your

rights have Your jobs would be solely to maintain they were husband and make him
thirteen,
household order, to encourage faith, and to happy.
evolved since the know your position. Which was knowing you girls were
expected to
were less than men. Religion would be
17th century. important in your society, but no, you could participate
in all the tasks of
not speak in church. No, you could not be a
adult women To be a woman in colonial society meant that
preacher or spread your beliefs. And no,
(?Gender and they needed to be subordinate to men. Mrs.
unlike today, you would not have any freedom Anne Hutchinson preaching
By Annie Arnold of speech. at her house in Boston. Sexuality in David Simmons stated, ?Let your Dress, your
Colonial America?) Conversation and the whole Business of your
Women have had a continuous struggle with To be a woman in colonial society meant that they life be to please your husband and make him
their rights and equality throughout history. needed to be subordinate to men. Mrs. David happy.?(Spectator Magazine). As a child,

Puritan society was no different, as women Simmons stated, ?Let your Dress, your women had to be subordinate to their father
were viewed as less than men and were told Conversation and the whole Business of your life and then they became a feme covert; her