women in the americas:

1. Women in the Americas: From the Colonial Period to the Civil War

3. Writing-Share prompt A hero should always pursue what he/she thinks is right, even if other people disagree. Share ideas in small groups.

4. Central Questions: What was the accepted role of women in antebellum United States? Did the role of women differ dependent on race, class, or region? Who were the main women social activists who challenged society in the 19th Century? What were their concerns and methods of activism? How are the issues raised by 19th Century women similar to and different than the concerns of women today? Why is the Seneca Falls Convention considered to be the birthplace of the American women's rights movement?

5. Challenge Questions: What is a hero? Can a person who advocates unpopular ideas be considered a hero? What are the appropriate boundaries, if any, regarding methods for seeking social change? Are there any groups today comparable to the Women's Movement in the 19th Century? How did race, class, and geography impact the role of women in antebellum America? Were women reformers effective? Why weren't the goals of the Women's Movement more universally accepted by women? Is there a modern Women's Movement today? What are its major concerns and obstacles to progress? Is there genuine equality today?

6. Native American Women The lives of Native American were extremely diverse. In some Indian groups, women had property rights, freedom, and political power unknown to women of Europe. As farmers, women controlled food production and had high status Two famous Native American women: Pocahontas: As a daughter of Chief Powhatan and wife of Jamestown leader John Rolfe, she played a political role Sacajawea: A Shoshone Indian who helped Lewis and Clark travel across the American west.

7. First Colonists First European women in America: Gudrid and Freydis were part of Leif Eriksson�s voyages to the Americas around 1000 AD. Gudrid gave birth to Snorri, the first European child born in the North America. Freydis was said to have scared an Indian attack party away after beating her naked breasts with a sword (while pregnant).

8. Jamestown Few women initially made the journey to Jamestown which was meant to be a trading colony Women were a very small minority of the colonists They came as wives, �tobacco brides�, convicts, escapees from bad marriages, and indentured servants Life was HARD: storms, Indian attacks, death, crime victims, lack of food, disease, hard work, 80% mortality rate, 25% of children under 18 were orphans. The boundaries between men and women�s work was blurred out of necessity: women managed the farm, hunt and fished, and protected the homestead, in addition to raising children. Some women even refused marriage so that they could retain their rights and property.

9. Pilgrims 19 of 102 passengers on the Mayflower were women, of which 18 were married. Most were dead from disease or suicide by the next Spring A woman had the right to the love and support of her spouse, but didn�t have the right to question his judgment Puritan and Pilgrim women who attempted to have a voice in society or the Church were put down Salem Witch Trials Daily life: Cooking, cleaning, spinning, cheese making, candlemaking, brewing beer, farming Average woman had 7 children and nursed up to 18 months for each child.

10. Pre-Revolutionary Woman As economic circumstances improved, women lost their status as economic producers, but began to be looked at as mothers. In the south, slaves performed even the household labor Wealthy women pursued lives of leisure trying to perfect their bearing, dance steps, and figure. Ideal women: Fragile, fair, not bright, not interested in public issues

11. Revolutionary Mother Producers of cotton and other products of Patriot boycotts Promoter of Revolutionary causes in domestic economy- boycotted products like tea Defiant of British authority, yet safe in protest Willing to take over businesses and farms while the men fought

12. Abigail Adams "I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies� If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.� Letter from Abigail to John Adams, 3/31/1776

13. Changes in the Early 19th Century Expansion- U.S. expanded westward Industrialization- advances in transportation (railroads, canals, steamships) led to growth of factories Immigration Second Great Awakening: religious movements emphasizing individual responsibility, personal salvation and societal reform Growth of democracy for white men as suffrage expands

14. Primary Document Jigsaw Activity Handout primary document to small groups. Documents include illustrations from Godey�s Lady�s Journal, Catherine Beecher�s The American Woman�s Home and �An Essay on the Education of Female Teachers,� Freedom�s Journal (Matilda�s Letter and letter, Samuel K. Jennings� The Married Lady�s Companion, or Poor Man�s Friend, and Mrs. A.J. Graves� Woman in America. Each group reads the document and notes the ideal role of women according to the document. Each group presents to the class.

15. Need for Stability All these radical changes led to a need for stability The family became a haven of safety from the tough outside world An ideology formed to keep the two worlds separate as well as the role of each gender. Note: This didn�t apply to rural women, working class factory workers, immigrants or African-American women who were required to work.

16. Separate Spheres, 1800-1860 Separate Spheres Women�s place in the home, not the corrupt and dangerous public sphere of paid labor �She has a head almost too small for intellect and just big enough for love� Dr. Charles Meigs, 1847. Women were frugal in their management of the domestic economy Virtuous mother Women�s job is to take care of the family and raise the children with Christian values Dutiful wives- Chaste and sexless (as opposed to morally unreliable descendents of sinful Eve). Educated- As people begun to choose their spouses, women were educated to make them more interesting as partners, yet their education was different than a man�s. Women were also responsible to rear sons so it was important to be educated.

17. Sarah Hale and Godey�s Lady�s Book Sarah Hale was a mother of five who as a widow was forced to support her family In 1836, she was hired to take over Godey�s Lady�s Book, a very popular women�s magazine which set standards for women to follow. �Our men are sufficiently money-making. Let us keep our women and children from contagion as long as possible�

18. Reality Many women continued to work on farms as they had since colonial days Many women, especially urban and immigrant women, worked in the new factories as laborers, such as in Lowell, Massachusetts. Respectable work opportunities were limited: teaching, mill work, domestic service, piecemeal seamstress work done at home. African American women in the south were slaves. Majority of women were still farmers.

19. Reform By 1840, A small percentage of women became involved in reform movements which were seen as an extension of their household duties, motherly inclinations, and morality Abolition Temperance Anti-prostitution

20. Seneca Falls In 1848, the first women�s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York The convention was organized by women and included many female speakers Elizabeth Cady Stanton drew up the �Declaration of Sentiments� which was based on the Declaration of Independence and declared that �all men and women had been created equal.� The most controversial resolution called for the right of women to vote.

21. Seneca Falls Activity (opt) Present students with the Declaration of Sentiments and ask them to write down similarities between it and the Declaration of Independence. Assign each student a section of the document to translate into modern English, to research the context for the language, and to note how it relates to modern concerns of women. Students will write up their responses and either the teacher or a student creates a hyperlinked version or the Declaration of Sentiments. The Teacher could then make a �treasure hunt� type worksheet which requires students to navigate the Declaration of Sentiments. As a class, discuss why the Seneca Falls Convention was a major milestone for women seeking to gain equality in the US.

22. Gilded Age Political Reformers Do Political Cartoon Activity

23. Virtual Museum/Poster Project We are going to create a museum of 19th Century women radicals, activists, and rebels. You will pick one person from the next slide to research- consult books, databases such as Vermont online and Sirs, google web search, and google scholar. For basic information, you can consult http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php (website of the Women�s Hall of Fame). Create a poster or Webpage using Front Page. Alternatively, if your teacher can set up a wiki, you can make a wiki page. In your biography, you need to include basic biographical information, relevant graphics, achievements, a short reflection which at least partially addresses how your character�s activities challenged social norms. You will be graded based upon the following guidelines: Content breadth and accuracy, meeting subject requirements, creativity, organization, and neatness of presentation. You must pick out one meaningful quote regarding women attributed to your character to read into my digital microphone. We will make a mp3 podcast of inspirational quotes regarding women in America to post on the class website.

24. Radicals, Reformers, and Rebels Lucretia Mott Sojourner Truth Marci W. Stewart Dorothea Dix Angelina Grimke Sara Grimke Elizabeth Cady Stanton Mary Lyon Emma Willard Margaret Fuller Elizabeth Blackwell Lucy Stone Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

25. Final Reflection 1) Writing prompt: �Have women achieved equality with men?� 2) Share 3) In small groups compile at least 10 categories for proving or disproving that women are equal. 4) Share lists in class discussion 5) Find statistics or evidence to back up each category. 6) Present finding to the class. 7) Reflect again on the original prompt. (optional) Look at current magazines to determine the ideal woman contained in them today. Compare to Antebellum period

26. International Extension Lesson (opt.) For a world history class or for a comparative perspective, have students read �Growing Up Saudi� by Katherine Zoepf from Upfront Magazine (1/22/08) (http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f092208_saudi_girls). Discuss the parallels, if any, between modern Saudi society and 19th Century U.S. society.