The Indispensable Role of Women in Colonization and Settlement

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What is a new world if can not expand it? It is nothing. According to the Records of Virginia Company of London, early Virginia lacked one essential element of English society and that was a stable family life1. But for the English society to have stable family life, they need women to form these families to have stable family life. In early US history, men played a major role in developing the colonies in America, but the women expanded the colonies by giving birth to the future Americans. Women played a major role in early US history; even though, they might not think so. In 1622, women only came to America to form families but later in history this all changed. The colonists had found the way to economic success by growing tobacco, but Virginia faced difficulty time because morality rates remained high and the colonists had few children.2 The population grew slowly in Virginia. On 1622 in Virginia there was a demand for male servants to work in the tobacco fields, but most of the seventeenth century men outnumbered women by four or five to one. The Virginia Company promoted immigration of women to the colony in 1620 and 1621. These women were called tobacco brides because their husbands were ordered to give a payment in tobacco to their wives. These marriages were not love related but arranged. The Virginia Company was really working a company, a tobacco company. By making the male servants happy and working on the tobacco fields; they send in women to have the male servants happy. This also benefits the Virginia Company by expanding the colony and making more profitable tobacco; unfortunately, this plan did not work so while. Virginia remained a non family oriented community because of the deaths of parents or children.1... ... middle of paper ... ...not been the United States. In early US History, men were mentioned more than women. Women did not have the same equal rights as men. I think the reason women did not have the same equal rights as men, because Eve had persuasive Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. Maybe that why men do not want women having the same equal rights like them. They may of thought, if they give equal right to the women; women probably do the same thing that Eve did to Adam. But, they are wrong, not all women are like Eve. If the women had the same equal right, they would not take it for granted. The women could have the same opportunities to learn and help expand education to their children. That’s what Benjamin Rush wanted for United States. I completely agree with Benjamin; even though, he was not a full believer of women’s rights. All this events helped push women’s rights and equality.

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