How Gender Has Affected New England Colonies

Gender Roles in Colonial Times

During colonial times, there were very strict gender roles that men and women were expected to follow. These rules and laws varied from colony to colony but were largely the same. Women focused mainly on household duties, such as knitting, small gardening, and teaching children scripture. It is important to note that these roles were specifically directed towards white women, as black women had no rights. Men held the power in relationships, government, churches, property, and controlled the family. Men also voted, and their labor helped provide for the family and the colonies. Both men and women were equally important to the family and the survival of the colonial system. If one failed, the system would not work. However, as time went by, the system increasingly favored men.

Challenges Faced by Early Pilgrims

When first arriving in America, life was extremely rough for the pilgrims. There were no shops, shelters, farms, and a shortage of women. Life back home was vastly different from the new life they had just started. As Ripper (2015) describes in his book American Stories: Living American History, “The first seasons in America had been brutal, unyielding, and deadly. The winters were colder and the summers hotter than English folk had known, and farming prospects were mixed” (p. 45). Because of this harsh life, women were a necessity in helping men with hard labor. There was assistance from Native Americans with activities like farming, but without both men and women fulfilling their roles, the colonies would have faced much greater difficulties in surviving. Labor work was a new experience for colonial women, who, before coming to America, were confined to household duties. They were not allowed to attend school or enter professions, and if they did work, they were paid less. Therefore, transitioning to this new life was likely not easy for them.

Comparative Gender Dynamics

Interestingly, Native American women were respected much more than European women during the 1600s. Women could do almost anything that men did, except for a few activities like going to war and hunting. Colonial men found this very strange, claiming Native American women were “slaves to the men.” Not everyone shared this thought, though. Benjamin Franklin admired the Native American way of life. As Ripper (2015) notes, “Franklin did not think that Native Americans lived in some caveman, throwback state of nature. Rather, he saw that they had sophisticated governments in which men and women participated” (p. 62). Franklin was ahead of his time, but unfortunately, the rest of the colonies did not view women or Native Americans as he did.

Transition Back to Traditional Roles

As time passed and the colonies became more established, the need for women in the fields and other forms of hard labor diminished. Women reverted to their traditional roles in society. By the 18th century, women were once again considered property of men, yet they remained extremely important to the function of everyday life. This shift underscored the deeply ingrained gender roles that persisted in colonial society, despite the brief period of necessity-driven equality.

Conclusion: Did Gender Roles Contribute to Colonial Growth?

The gender roles in the colonies undoubtedly contributed to their growth by creating a structured division of labor that supported both the family unit and the larger colonial economy. However, this system also entrenched inequalities that would take centuries to address. The contributions of women, although often undervalued, were crucial to the colonies' survival and development. As the colonies matured, the rigid enforcement of gender roles became both a stabilizing force and a source of social tension, shaping the trajectory of American society.

References

Ripper, J. (2015). American Stories: Living American History. ABC-CLIO.