Women in the Puritan Society
The Puritan life was extremely different than the world today. Men were superior to women in the Puritan society. Women were not only treated different in community matters, but in marriages too. Wives were expected to care for their children and their husbands (Deering). Puritan women were treated poorly and unequally compared to the Puritan men.
Women were outcasts to men in the Puritan society. Puritan men viewed the women as instruments to Satan because they were much more susceptible to temptations (MacLean). This means men thought women were easily enticed, therefore they would sin. Puritan women were subjected to dress and look a certain way. Women’s clothes had to modestly cover their bodies. If
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Puritan husbands were superior to their wives in marriage. Women were to love, obey, and be at best interest for their husband (MacLean). Known as “female shaping,” this philosophy means a women should never show temper, not challenge her husband, be subordinate towards them, and allow them to handle all financial matters("Puritan"). In the Puritan society, affairs are a sin. If a wife caught and found guilty of adultery, it was possible she would face the death penalty. On the other hand, if the husband was caught, he would only suffer with a fine or whipping ("Puritan"). Needless to say in marriages, women never had a voice for any situation.
To conclude, Puritan women were treated at a lower standard compared to Puritan men. Unlike women, men had the authority to do what ever they pleased with minor consequences for their actions. Women were responsible for food, clothing, caring for their family, and much more. They could not be involved with politics in any shape or form within the community. Women were forced to stay quiet unless they wanted to suffer the consequences. It was extremely unfair that women were subjected to men controlling everything they could and could not
Colonial Women in America In the colonial times, women did not have many rights but had a tremendous amount of duties. Colonial woman face continuous struggles; they stood behind their husbands’ during revolutionary times, a married women had limited abilities, limited rights and had very tough daily hardships. This can be confronted by the overpowerment a husband has to his wife. Without a husband 's consent: a women may not buy property, make a contract or be sued in court.
In the Puritan society, having faith was very much important to them, this was a source in which all of their other aspects of their society and values came from. Puritans,sought to reform the Church from within. They believed that “uniformity was essential to social order” (Pg 72). Puritans believed that God chooses each individual from the time they are born for salvation or for condemnation. Only God knew the fate of each person.
In the year of 1630, a group of people known as the Puritans arrived to America and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston. The Puritans were similar to the Pilgrims in which they were Protestants from England who thought that their reforms of their church were “too Catholic” and needed to be changed further. The Puritans being unhappy with their reforms was the primary reason for leaving England and settling in America, while the Pilgrims stayed behind and were determined to change their reforms. When they came to America, they decided to keep some of their strict rules. For example, church was mandatory and if someone missed a day,
Over 100 individuals were suspected to be witches in result to weird behavior before a disaster happens. The puritans set fairly high standards on themselves and others. True puritans could show their commitment by going to church and working their hardest. They also believed God was not the only powerful force among their community.
They had to follow a strict code, and if they went against that code, they would be considered sinning and be punished. The Puritans believed the devil was as real as God. The women accused of doing witchcraft were an easy target for the devil, according to Puritan
Good Puritan women did not try to force others to commit
Intolerance is the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differs from one’s own. People don’t stop and think about what issues their thoughts could really cause, so they end up stating what they think. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Often times, people tend to judge people based off of a single idea, whether or not it is true or in correct context. They end up truly hurting a person by doing so.
For women in the Southern Colonies had very few legal rights such as not being able to vote or preach. Most women had difficult jobs most of the women 's jobs were being homemakers. Life for the women were hard and unforgiving. Life for the colonial women had to work on farms.
He also observed that “They usually do more work than the men, although they are not forced or compelled to do so” (1632). Gender roles in European society were also well defined in this era. Women handled household chores and cared for the children while men hunted to provide for their families, fought in wars, and had more rights and freedom than women. It is difficult to determine if Native American men had more rights than women, although it appears from the documents that they did have more free time. A noticeable difference between the Huron women and Native Americans in colonial Pennsylvania, however, was
During the Puritan times gender roles in the society were very anti-feminist. Women were required to act as housewives and do womanly duties such as cook, clean, and take care of their children. Women had very little freedom as far as their rights were concerned also. Puritan writers, Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson both experienced the struggle of the anti-feminist movement. From their writings we see that they both were against anti-feminism and they tried their best to abandon the whole idea.
If they do not obey the specific rules they are severely punished, or sometimes killed. The women who do not obey the rules are seen as dangerous. The government is scared that the women who do not agree may act out and change the regulated roles. Punishment is a vital part of the Puritan society. The government contemplates in order to get people to follow the rules, extreme punishment needs to be enforced.
The Puritan ways of the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, lead to each gender having a very set role in society. Men were to be the strong, detached ones, who did all the hard work. Well the women were subordinate, stay-at-home mothers, and could show no temper. These roles lead to the growth of distrust between a married couple. An analysis of John and Elizabeth’s marriage
The Puritans in the 1600s had a very important influence in the development of the New England colonies through the 1660s their ideas, values; political, economic and social development would have a lasting effect on the region. The values of the Puritans were greatly rooted in the idea that man was evil and that God alone would save us. By creating this town upon the hill God will reward them for their efforts for trying to reform the Anglican Church. Politically the Puritans were a semi-theocracy that would only allow those who were part of the church to vote. Economically they brought a lasting effect based on their hard work ethic.
What do these quotations suggest about Puritan attitudes toward women and children? It suggested that the men were more powerful than them and had complete control over them. The men had no problem whipping and beating their family. Idle children were also to be whipped in schools.
The Puritan society thinks that it was their job to punish people who committed crime severely because they believe they were doing god’s work. They persecuted Hester for committing adultery while they are blinded by