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

In the 1800's, womens roles changed and more oppertunities arose for them. They were now able to do much more then before these apportunites arose. Womens roles in the family, workplace, and society changed dramatically over this period of time.

When the women got married they had to be confined within the household and take care of the family. These are the beliefs of the Cult of Domesticity in that time period. This cult said taht when a women was unmarried they could work as an man but only in certain types of factories. In the household the young children were very close to their mother. The mom was the one who took care of the kids from the day they were born to the day they start to work.

Women were given jobs in mills such as the Lowell Mill. One of the letters said that the girls start working at 5 o'clock, eat breakfast at seven, and stay until half past 12. At one they return to work and stay till 7 at night. In the evening they could do what ever they wanted, but usually they were pretty tired at the end of the day. They also said that nothing is more tedios than factory work (Document B). They would work 14 hour days all within the mill. They would stay in dorms, provided my the mill, and there were certain resterictions they had to follow in order to stay within the mills quarters. Some of the rules were that you could not have any men within your quarters and a curfew for when they had to come in at night.

Women were now able to be more and more independent as these changes occured through time. Dorothea Dix, for example, was the leader of the reform movement to stop persicuting insane people (Document D). Bloomers were and new piece of clothing for women to wear under their skirts. People thought these bloomers were, "different". As shown in the //Harpers New Monthly Magazine,// there is a picture of this women is wearing Bloomers and everyone in the room has a peculiar look on their face and they are shocked (Document E). From //Godey's Lady's Book//, it said women have an opinion that they shouldn't just be confined to taking care of their husband and children once they get married (Document C).

Womens roles in the family, workplace, and society changed dramatically over this period of time. These changes showed that women could do more then just work in the house, they could sustain a job and earn pay. They were more then just a house mother, they were a human being capable of everything that a man could do.