Freedom of Colonial American Women

Indent In the early 1600 hundreds of men women and children began to migrate to from several countries in Europe such as France, England, and Spain, (commas) to name a few. All were in search of religious freedom and economic reasons. This paper will examine the role of women in the Colonial period and the freedoms or the lack of freedoms provided to them. Good start, Bridgette; you may wish to further define your thesis statement. In this case, the thesis statement should reference the connection between race, class, and religion Ð'- with the concept of "freedom". You will want to examine whether "freedom" exists, and then your concluding paragraph will need to refer to these points, and sum up your analysis.

Indent Under English common law married women in the colonial period were unable to contract or sue in tort unless they had here (their?) husband's permission. The English did not have any contractual capacity because they did not have any proprietary capacity English law dictated that all interest in the personal and real property of his wife was absolute and he and all rights over here possessions. He even had absolute rights over his wife's person in other words he was master over his wife. Indicate the feme sole vs. feme couvert components as well.

The majority of women that (use "who" since you are referring to individuals) left for the new world were seeking to be free of these types of laws. The women of New England during this period were much more diverse as a group and their local economy and social structures that were being created in the new world and by their ability to influence their new surroundings and establish new patterns within them, although most of the social gain that these women were able to achieve were driven by economic forces and many of the obstacles that they faced were, ultimately rooted in the control of money and property. Be sure, too, to incorporate parenthetical citations, Bridgette, for any indirect references to the Dubois text. Citations should appear as, for example, (Dubois 22).

Women were essential to the survival of the New World founded by the British in America the plantation could never flourish till families were planted and the respect of the wives and children fix the people on the soil stated Sir Edward Sands the treasurer of Virginia. (Revise this previous sentence so that your point regarding the establishment of the family is clearÐ'....) Most of the women of the colonial period received very little education. Colonial girls were allowed to lean how to read in exchange for the work that they did but most were taught household skills by their mothers because this would aid in getting a husband. The women were responsible for processing and preparing the food they were responsible of the feeding of the animals as well as the slaughter of them. They were also responsible for the smoking of the meat, brewing of beer and cider. Women were not yet defined as a single group laws and social pressures were not standard across race and social class.

New paragraph? Each woman's worth was largely predefined based on the race, class and the religion into which she happened to be born. African women were regarded as property

...