The+Role+of+Men+and+Women+in+the+1800s

Natalia Ruzrtr

THE ROLE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN THE 1800s



In the 1800's, specially at the beginning, the American society was male chauvinist. Men were seen as superior to women almost in every aspect. They were the main voice in the family, they got the best education, they were the only politicians, and they had great control over women. The 1800's was the time when women began to fight for their rights and they set new standards that were fair for them.

Job Opportunities
Women's job had never really been thought of since they did all the work at home such as: cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children, etc. Their opportunities expanded once factories needed more workers and women were put to work in factories around the 1820's. For the first time women were bringing money home instead of staying home all day waiting for the husband to bring money.

Educational properties
In the 1800s, it was a big step for women to get their education. Before, women were only allowed to go to grammar school and they could not go to school after that. If the wanted to receive extra education, they could continue their studies privately. This was because men were seen as superior to women. Women were seen as 'intellectually challenged' and as if they could not get past grammar school. As time passed, women fought for their rights of being educated because it was unfair that men could go to college and they could not and they got what they wanted. The former president, [|Thomas Jefferson], supported the movement on education for women.

Thomas Jefferson

**Politics**
Men were the only politicians at the time and. Women were not supposed to be involved in politics in the early 1800s. Men thought that women were too emotional to put up with the stress brought by politics. In the 1820's, some women began to fight for their rights to be able to be politicians. Women began joining the American Society to fight for the abolition or reduction of alcohol consumption by men, women and children as well. This was because alcohol was causing a lot of health problems in the time and they achieved to form a national foundation against alcohol.

Home
At home, women were not respected in the family. The main voice of the family was the father and everyone had to obey the father. The mother would only take care of the children, clean the house, cook, and would do what the man would ask her to do. At the time, if the women wanted to rebel against her husband, he would beat her and disrespect her. Also, the woman's money belonged to her father if she was not married. If the woman was married, then her money belonged to her husband. Everything at that time was favorable for men and women had to live for the comfort of men. For the same reasons men looked for wealthy women in order to keep their money. Many times, a woman would just marry a man because her father told her to and because the man wanted her money. Love was not the priority for marrying someone; money was.

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