Women in Latin America during the Colonization The perception of inequality was evident in the colonial Spanish America, man belief that women were lacked in capacity to reason as soundly as men. A normal day for European women in the new world was generally characterized by male domination, for example marriage was arranged by the fathers, women never go out except to go church, women didn’t have the right to express their opinions about politic or society issues. Subsequent to all these bad treats European women try to find different ways to escape from man domination and demonstrate their intellectual capacities, for example women used become part of a convent, write in secret their desires and disappointments, and even dress as man to discover what was the real world. On the other hand native women were not treating the same way, because their enjoyed economic importances that place them far from being man victims. However, Europeans women were very discriminated and dominated during the colonial times; but little by little women fight for their rights and become free of man domination. In the year 1520 European women begin arriving to the New World; all these women were treat as minors and became adult at the age of 25 years old. At this time or before women were destined to get marriage. Marriages were controlled by fathers, fathers would make sure that the husband choose to their daughters were equal or better in economic matters. The issue of “inequality” of course, rarely arose on the top elite level, but to middle or low level classes it was a major issue. According to one of the stories of Tales of Potosi called The Strange Case of Fulgencio Orozco people from low classes pass throughout many difficulties to arrange a marriage for their daughters; in this story a Spanish man who lacked in economic matters experience many complications trying to organized a marriage for his daughter, he never obtain a good marriage for his daughter and finally became crazy, lost his faith in God and died. Cases like this one occur around all Spanish America in low classes; marriage was an economic contract that almost always benefits top elite level class. In a normal day a European women were required to stay home all day except to go to church. The church became a place of reunions to women of the top... ... middle of paper ... ...European women could have all these freedoms was after the death of their husbands, the heritance from their husbands give to each women an economic base to managed business and be independent into society. However, Europeans women were very segregated and under man control during the colonial times; but little by little women fight for their rights and become free of man domination. Today the status of women’s civil rights varies dramatically in different countries and, in some cases, among groups within the same country, such as ethnic groups or economic classes. In recent decades women around the world have made strides in political participation, as for example women acquired the right to vote, the right to become part of political issues, the right to marriage who they want, and the right to be free as an individual. Resources: Benjamin Keen, Keith Haynes. A History of Latin America Seventh Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston New York, 2004. Bartolome Arzans de Orsua y Vela. Tales of Potosi. Providence Brown University, 1975. Emma Sordo. Latin American Civilization Class Notes. 5/25/05.
The history of Africans in Mexico is an oft-neglected facet of the cultural complexities of that country. In 1519, Hernando Cortes brought 6 African slaves with him to Mexico; these individuals served the conquest as personal servants, carriers, and laborers.[1] In the years to come, slavery would become a critical component of the colonial economy with approximately 2,000 slaves arriving each year 1580-1650; it is estimated that a total of 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico during the colonial period.[2] Given this large number of slaves, the lengthy period of their importation, and the inevitable mixing of races, which took place throughout the colony, the historical and cultural significance of bozales, criollos, mulattoes, and zambos is far-reaching. The colonial period provides an excellent starting place for an examination of the significance of these groups not only because the institution of African slavery was introduced to New Spain at that time, but also because the regular influx of native Africans combined with the close attention paid to color-based castas in official records allows historians to trace the influence of African culture more readily during that period.
Women, like black slaves, were treated unequally from the male before the nineteenth century. The role of the women played the part of their description, physically and emotionally weak, which during this time period all women did was took care of their household and husband, and followed their orders. Women were classified as the “weaker sex” or below the standards of men in the early part of the century. Soon after the decades unfolded, women gradually surfaced to breathe the air of freedom and self determination, when they were given specific freedoms such as the opportunity for an education, their voting rights, ownership of property, and being employed.
Over the past few decades, research on women has gained new momentum and a great deal of attention. Susan Socolow’s book, The Women of Colonial Latin America, is a well-organized and clear introduction to the roles and experiences of women in colonial Latin America. Socolow explicitly states that her aim is to examine the roles and social regulations of masculinity and femininity, and study the confines, and variability, of the feminine experience, while maintaining that sex was the determining factor in status. She traces womanly experience from indigenous society up to the enlightenment reforms of the 18th century. Socolow concentrates on the diverse culture created by the Europeans coming into Latin America, the native women, and African slaves that were imported into the area. Her book does not argue that women were victimized or empowered in the culture and time they lived in. Socolow specifies that she does her best to avoid judgment of women’s circumstances using a modern viewpoint, but rather attempts to study and understand colonial Latin American women in their own time.
Galeano, Eduardo. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. Translated by Cedric Belfrage. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997.
Throughout the classical and postclassical eras, it is evident that women have always held a certain label whether it be positive or negative. This was evident throughout various regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Americas, and Europe. The time period from 1750-1914 was also an era of industrialization, in places especially like Europe. New machinery and a grand-scale labor force was required to allow the country to prosper as much as possible. From 1750 to 1914, the status of women in Western Euope changed through an increase in employment opportunities and through the earning of women’s rights, however, female labor in designated households was invariably evident.
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.
During the times of Antebellum America, women became a cornerstone of history and helped construct the way sex and gender was viewed in the United States. Women began to acknowledge the way they were being treated and started to educate themselves about the rights they deserved and the effects it would have on the future generations. Religion became a forum where women could feel a sense of empowerment and the Second Great Awakening spoke of everyone being in charge of their own salvation, be that as a male or female. However, before the empowerment of women began, the male hierarchy of America distinguished females as a lower class and the several articles that are to be mentioned will give evidence to the struggle of women.
Looking over the course of time, women had overcome some abusive and intrusive periods in society to be heard and noticed as an equal to mankind. Woman have struggled for equal rights as early as the 1800’s, which in this time the role of the woman was franchised in every home, to be seen but not heard, to complete what were daily chores such as cleaning, cooking, sewing and motherhood,. Women were in a time warp, and were in need to speak out, be heard and not judged by their mother baring and homemaking skills. Women were force to communicate amongst themselves in society, and also force to discuss amongst themselves political views.
The picture of pre-revolutionary Mexican women was of a woman who had to lived her life constantly in the male shadow. These women were consumed by family life, marriage, and the Catholic Church, and lived silently behind their dominant male counterparts (Soto 31-32). In 1884 (prior to the revolution) the government passed the Mexican Civil Code. It dramatically restricted women's rights at home and at work (Bush and Mumme 351). Soto states that the code "sustains an almost incredible inequality between the conditions of husband and wife, restricts in an exaggerated and arbitrary manner those rights due the woman, and…erases and nullifies her personality" (qtd. Bush and Mumme 351).
Keen, B., & Haynes, K., (2004). A history of latin america. (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Women in Latin America were expected to adhere to extreme cultural and social traditions and there were few women who managed to escape the burden of upholding these ridiculous duties, as clearly shown in “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”. First, Latin American women were expected to uphold their honor, as well as their family's honor, through maintaining virtue and purity; secondly, women were expected to be submissive to their parents and especially their husbands; and lastly, women were expected to remain excellent homemakers.
In conclusion, women throughout the decades have strived, from protesting to going on trials, to point out their rights. “Will women soon be treated equally as men?” A day when women and men having the same rights is still under way and has a far way to go as from the antebellum period. However, what makes women so unique, especially during this era is the numerous of contributions these respectful woman played a part of in order to see dramatic changes in America’s society. Some of the extraordinary ideas developed by them explains the success leading into what we call America today. Therefore, it is proven that women are certainly not helpless species, but are useful citizens who aroused much commitment for their “race” and nation.
Women are hindered by a set of guidelines created by today’s society. As an overall sex, they are expected to be gentle, calm, and obedient which consequently leads to women being the oppressed gender. In the 19th century, women 's suffrage did not exist in America and they were not allowed to work. They were only supposed to cook, clean and bear children. The campaigns for women’s suffrage began before the Civil War. Nearly a century later, the 19th Amendment in the Constitution was ratified. In this day and age, women are learning to fight back in order to gain equal rights in every aspect including political, economic, cultural as well as the social aspect. Despite the feminist movements to encourage these ideologies, there are still gender
...a of Latin America: The Age of Globalization 3 (2010). Modern World History Online. Web. 11 May 2014.
With the loss of the equality women were no longer able to have a say in how they ran their daily lives. With the new reign of patriarchy in the agricultural societies women were merely a different type of property owned by a man. A husband would exchange his daughters for other needs and pass his property on to his sons. This brought on the importance of the fidelity of a woman to her husband. Since the man needed a true heir to inherit his land there could be no question or doubt that a son was his own. And the more property a man owned the more important this concept became. With the rise of patriarchy also came the notion of complex laws. These laws were a double standard that worked in the favor of men and disfavor of women. Men even made marriage a financial arrangement that would work in their favor. To put this era simply, a woman’s duty was to wait on her husband and do as he bid her to do and a man’s duty was to rule and control his family.