What Are The Roles Of Puritan Women

605 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women puritan society

woMEN HAVE RIGHTS
About five centuries ago the world was built on classification; children and adults, blacks and whites but most importantly women and men. The stereotypical mindset that men are superior to women has counterparted a constant detriment to our ever-growing society. Although there has been some improvements in society like granting the right to vote to women because of gender discrimination and lack of opportunities for women, our rights in society haven’t improved since the beginning of the United States.
In the 1600’s Puritanism arose marking the beginning of the women stereotype. The Puritans were English Reformed Protestants, who believed and thrived to "fix" the Church of England from its former practices. In this Puritan …show more content…

These women were looked upon as secondary subjects to their husbands with minimal function, capable only of mothering and controlling the household. Although Puritan beliefs cored around the church, women were not allowed to join. Not to mention that in the 17th century, southern women were also unseen for their potential. Women weren't allowed to own anything and had no form of power. The men of the south justified this mistreatment by saying that the women were “too delicate”. It wasn't until 1638 that a woman by the name of Anne Hutchinson advocated for women by preaching predestination. Anne’s unconstitutional act of publicly disagreeing with the puritan church of men led her to trial in Massachusetts. In this trial the governor, Mr. Winthrop, condemned Anne for practicing a religion without involving men. The governor was quoted saying, “Well, admit there was no man at your meeting and that you was sorry for it, there is no warrant for

Show More
Related

  • Salem Witch Trials: Women’s Rights

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Church of England was not a good religion during the sixteenth century, the puritans want to practice their own religion but the Church of England would not allow them. People didn’t want to obey the churches authority anymore. The Puritans it particular did not want to follow the Church of England. Over time, “the church of England began to crack down on those who refused to bow to their authority” (www3.gettysburg.edu) this caused the Puritans to leave England. The puritans left England and went on a dangerous journey to be free from the church. It was so bad that, “it got to the point where the puritans decided to face the dangerous journey to the New World rather than be persecuted for their religion” (www3.gettysburg.edu) these people would rather put their lives and families in danger than to be put down by the Church of England. There were ranks inside the church and women were at the bottom.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Susan B. Anthony

    2088 Words  | 5 Pages

    Today, women and men have equal rights, however, not long ago men believed women were lower than them. During the late eighteenth century, men expected women to stay at home and raise children. Women were given very few opportunities to expand their education past high school because colleges and universities would not accept females. This was a loss for women everywhere because it took away positions of power for them. It was even frowned upon if a woman showed interest in medicine or law because that was a man’s place, not a woman’s, just like it was a man’s duty to vote and not a woman’s.

    Read More

  • Sinful or Feared?: An Exploration of the Reasons Women Were Accused of Witchcraft

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e to the Puritan ideas that women were more vulnerable and evil than men, their sexuality was more obvious and sinful, and the fear of women gaining power and authority.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Thirteen Colonies

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Puritans settled this colony and had strict religious beliefs and rules and harsh punishments as well. Church was mandatory and missing it could result in a fine. The church was also patrolled by a man who held a long pole; one end consisted of feathers used to tickle the chins of old men who fell asleep and the other end was a hard wooden knob to alert children who giggled or slept. The Puritans believed that God decided each person’s fate at birth and nothing could be done to change it. Hangings and whippings were common punishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In addition, the church held almost all of the power. Even though ministers were not allowed to hold political office, the clergy made the majority of the important decisions. Lastly, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was truly a man’s world. Women were not included in town meetings or decision making. They were to be patient, prudent, silent, fruitful, etc. The overall attitude of the Puritans seems to be that they are better than everyone else. They considered themselves “a model of Christian Charity” and stated their purpose to be “as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” These traits seem to be characteristic of the oppressive ways of England that many colonists were trying to be free from. As a woman who enjoys her rights and freedoms, I would not want to live in the Massachusetts Bay

    Read More

  • The Puritan Family

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Puritan religion had a surprisingly strong claim for the men and women who are hypersensitive to the disturbing forces that transform England in the middle of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Marriages remain far longer in their lives also the Puritan’s family in the beginning of the seventeenth century New England was more stabilized, adapted, and connected unit also the young Puritans was taught in mixture of constructive parts and the girls was taught as a housewife just like their mothers their lives were complicated.

    Read More

  • Women And The Salem Witch Trials

    1678 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, Puritans looked down upon woman, thus women were always the accusation of many evil and sins. Whether it was Puritan teachings or events associated with the accusations of women, people wanted to blame women for what was taking place. Puritan teachings, were the uproar of all the negative assumptions society had against women. Furthermore, the events and accusations that took place reflected the way men acknowledged women. Men were considered the superior gender and women were created just to elevate men’s role in society, and nothing else. If a woman, was to stand equal to a man that would defy her very role in existence, and so the role of a woman was never acknowledged in Puritan society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Seven Minute Life Of Marc Lepine

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the past there were many biases against women and their lack of abilities compared to men. Although the male perspective has changed over the past few centuries, there are many feminists who still fight for ...

    Read More

  • Women and Families of Puritan Society

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marriage in Puritan society was more of a contract than a religious sacrament. Daughters were married at a very young age in order to bear many children. While the patriarch of the family’s roles included managing crops and live stock, conducting business transactions and representing it to the government, women were suppose to bear, nurse and rear the children. Women also did charity work and were responsible for work in the house, barn, or garden, and making food or clothing....

    Read More

  • Inequality of Women During 1840 to 1968

    1910 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many ancient laws and beliefs show that women from all around the world have always been considered inferior to men. However, as time went on, ideas of equality circulated around and women started to demand equality. Many women fought for equality and succeeded in bringing some rights. However, full equality for women has yet to be fulfilled. This issue is important because many women believe that the rights of a person should not be infringed no matter what their gender is, and by not giving them equality, their rights are being limited. During the periods 1840 to 1968, total equality for women did not become a reality due to inadequate political representation, economic discrepancy, and commercial objectification.

    Read More

  • Pacified Progressivism

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    By the time Anne Bradstreet was born in the early 1600s, concrete gender roles, enforced by government regulation, church doctrine, and simple tradition, had been firmly in place for centuries. These gender roles dictated that women were little more than extensions of their husbands meant to be passive and servile, to perform basic household duties, and to praise their husbands and God. In the Puritan society, this was further compounded by the focus on humans' innate sinfulness leading back to the original sin of Eve, a convenient female scapegoat. Because of Eve's sin, Puritan men seemed have an underlying mistrust for all women believing that, like Eve, they were greedy for power or at least more susceptible to temptation. Thus, any woman who tried to break free of their defined role as daughter, wife, or mother was seen as a threat to the Puritan religion and the strength of the community. Guided by such harshly misogynistic beliefs, it becomes easier to understand the reasoning behind witch trials; any form of rebellion against church guidelines was sin and could easily spread to corrupt all...

    Read More

  • Women’s Equality in Ethical Theory and Perspective

    2226 Words  | 5 Pages

    Society has long since considered women the lessor gender and one of the most highly debated topics in society through the years has been that of women’s equality. The debates began over the meaning between a man and woman’s morality and a woman’s rights and obligations in society. After the 19th Amendment was sanctioned around 1920, the ball started rolling on women’s suffrage. Modern times have brought about the union of these causes, but due to the differences between the genetic makeup and socio demographics, the battle over women’s equality issue still continues to exist. While men have always held the covenant role of the dominant sex, it was only since the end of the 19th century that the movement for women’s equality and the entitlement of women have become more prevalent. “The general consensus at the time was that men were more capable of dealing with the competitive work world they now found themselves thrust into. Women, it was assumed, were unable to handle the pressures outside of the home. They couldn’t vote, were discourages from working, and were excluded from politics. Their duty to society was raising moral children, passing on the values that were unjustly thrust upon them as society began to modernize” (America’s Job Exchange, 2013). Although there have been many improvements in the changes of women’s equality towards the lives of women’s freedom and rights in society, some liberals believe that women have a journey to go before they receive total equality. After WWII, women continued to progress in there crusade towards receiving equality in many areas such as pay and education, discrimination in employment, reproductive rights and later was followed by not only white women but women from other nationalities ...

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Crucible

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Salem, Massachusetts, the year of 1692 women were “puritans”. They dressed very modestly, kept their hair hidden, and were loyal to their husbands. The majority were stay at home wives. The young women would work for the older women and would get paid. Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren each did one of those things. These women represent the archetypes of this story.

    Read More

  • Puritan Essay

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    Puritanism as a religion declined, both by diluting its core beliefs and by losing its members. This phenomenon was at work even in colonial days, at the religion’s height, because it contained destructive characteristics. It devolved into something barely recognizable in the course of a few generations. We can observe that the decline of Puritanism occurred because it bore within itself the seeds of its own destruction.

    Read More

  • Why Women Still Can T Have It All

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ever since the women’s suffrage movement of the 1920s, there has been a push for eliminating sexism and providing equality between men and women, especially in the workplace. The United States, along with most of the world, has made great strides in gender equality since then. Women can vote, and have careers, and men are able to stay home with the children if they choose to. But are the sexes really equal now? There are three common answers to this question. Some say yes, while the most common answer is no. The debate does not end there, however. It is typically assumed gender inequality is oppressing women and limiting their rights. Regardless, there are those who say the system is harming men instead. So, if gender inequality still exists,

    Read More

  • Women Deserve the Same Rights as Men

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the beginning of time, females have played a powerful role in the shaping of this world. They have stood by idly and watched as this country moved on without them, and yet they have demanded equal rights as the nation rolls along. Through the years the common belief has been that women could not perform as well as men in anything, but over the years that belief has been proven wrong time and time again. So as time marches on, women have clawed and fought their way up the ladder to gain much needed equal respect from the opposite sex. However, after many years of pain and suffering, the battle for equal rights has not yet been won. Since women have fought for a long time and proven their importance in society, they deserve the same rights as men.

    Read More

More about What Are The Roles Of Puritan Women

Open Document