Discuss+the+evolution+of+women's+roles+and+women's+opportunities+in+the+family,+the+workplace,+and+society.+ES

Women have been seen in the past as child raisers and home makers. Although, this age old view begins to change during the middle 1800’s. The roles of women changed in the family, workplace, and society after the “market revolution” and the Second Great Awakening. Before both the market revolution and the Second Great Awakening, family life changed. The American society believed that women were supposed to marry, have kids, teach the kids, and take care of the house. If a woman didn’t fulfill this role, society believed there was something wrong with her. Women always depended on someone. Wether if be a father, husband, brother, or even uncle. Women were never independent. In fact, some marriages were arranged by parents. After the market revolution and the Second Great Awakening, women continued to have the role of having children and taking care of the house. But, the amount of arranged marriages declined. People began to see women as smart people who didn’t have the chance to become educated. Some people started to blame society for denying women privileges, as illustrated in an editorial from Godey’s Lady’s Book, a magazine(Document C). The workplace of women also changed after the market revolution and the Second Great Awakening. Women didn’t work outside of the home and they weren’t allowed in factories. Because of this, women didn’t earn or handle money or own land. After the market revolution and Second Great Awakening, women were allowed to work outside of the home before marriage. Between the time of childhood and marriage, women were accepted to work in factories. In these factories, the women were supervised by men so as not to tarnish the pureness of women. A letter from a Lowell mill girl in 1844 illustrates what life was like for women working in a factory (Document B). The view of women in society changed immensely after the market revolution and Second Great Awakening. Before, women were constantly dependent on another man. Society saw women as weak, frail, and pure. If a women didn’t marry or have kids there was something wrong her. Before the market revolution and Second Great Awakening, women were expected to follow Republican Motherhood, which said that the role of a woman was to raise good republican children. Topics of conversation like the economy and politics were too deep a subject for women. After the revolution and awakening, society allowed women to work outside of the home in certain places. Women started to make a statement to society by wearing bloomers as illustrated in an article called “Bloomer costume” in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, in 1851 (Document E). Some people in society began to believe that women were entitled to an education, too (Document C). Women also started to take stands and make movements on issues in society as illustrated in Dorothea Dix’s announcement to the Massachusetts legislature in 1843 regarding the Insane Asylum Reform(Document D). Women also began to fight for their right to vote as seen in a petition to the Massachusetts legislature (Document F). Women participated in several religious reforms during the Second Great Awakening, which showed that women were becoming more independent (Document A). After the market revolution and the Second Great Awakening, the roles of women changed in the family, workplace, and society. The change wasn’t that women now had the right to vote or work outside of the home full time. The change came in how people thought about women’s rights. After the market revolution and Second Great Awakening, people took a huge step towards bettering women’s rights.