By now we understand the role of women in Colonial America. Women were to be submissive to men and their primary roles were that of wife and mother. Do you see any ways that women exercised some power or authority in their lives? If so, did it differ based on race, class, age, etc? Explain.
*NOTE: A strong answer will include critical thinking and processing of the information and facts. It is not enough to retell the stories or to list facts. Develop a strong answer and use the stories and facts to support what you state. You should use information from the class material. It is important to use the class material instead of developing an answer from material that you find on the internet or outside sources. If you find the need, you may use outside sources but you must include citations for those sources.
Materials: there are 3videos and one 4 files.
New Doc 2020-02-20 11.19.24 African American Women in Colonial America African American Women in Colonial America History 111 Early Slavery in America 1619 Dutch traders brought the first enslaved African people to Jamestown Slavery was not always solely based on race White men created laws to solidify slavery based on race Once it became profitable In the early stages, some African American men could: Earn their freedom Own property Own their own slaves Consider talking about: Bonded labour Chattel slavery Dependents Forced labour Forced marriage 2 Indentured Servitude Unlike other nations, the British became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade much later. Before this, they used indentured servants Many were white Europeans Young men and women Average 7 years of servitude in exchange for passage to America But British colonists turned slavery into something it had not been before. Consider talking about: Economics Identification 3 History British colonists established laws that made slavery: inheritable condition Based on race (the condition of the mother) Permanent (life-term) The shift in labor from indentured servants to enslaved African people came when slavery became more profitable due to cash crops. (increased demand for cheap agricultural labor) Due to improvement in cash crops 1620 – 1660 tobacco boom in Chesapeake 4 Virginia Slave Laws Here are three examples. December 1662 Whereas some doubts have arisen whether children got by any Englishman upon a Negro woman should be slave or free, be it therefore enacted and declared by this present Grand Assembly, that all children born in this country shall be held bond or free only according to the condition of the mother… September 1667 Whereas some doubts have risen whether children that are slaves by birth, and by the charity and piety of their owners made partakers of the blessed sacrament of baptism, should by virtue of their baptism be made free, it is enacted and declared by this Grand Assembly, and the authority thereof, that the conferring of baptism does not alter the condition of the person as to his bondage or freedom… 1672 Law forbade free black planters to purchase the labor of white servants Impact of the Laws Established the idea that Black people were inferior to whites This is long lasting, and we are still dealing with the incorrect ideas created by these laws Also established the idea that African origins were synonymous with the slave condition Enslaved Women and Work Black women were made to work in the same conditions, and just as hard as men This is during the same periods when it was thought that women were too ‘weak’, ‘incompetent’, and ‘sensitive’ to work as men did Enslaved people worked six days a week Common crops: Indigo, Rice and Tobacco Cotton became a staple crop after the 1790’s 63% of women worked in the fields Domestic Work Girls as young as 7 were put to work in a master’s home Cooking Cleaning Childcare Reproductive work: Bearing and nurturing children Domestic work in ‘slave quarters’ Fed husbands, fathers and children Black and white girls grew up as ‘slave’ and ‘master’ Hollywood has romanticized these relationships, but children were taught to know their place in these relationships Rape and Sexual Violence Interracial rape (white men towards Black women) was common. White men did not get punished for these crimes At the same time, whites claimed that Black men were threats to white women. Interracial rape (Black men towards white women was NOT common) Laws did not protect enslaved women and their children from rape and sexual violence The legal system offered advantages to men of the master class Children of enslaved women followed the “condition of the mother” – this made legal paternity of the child irrelevant There was little that an enslaved woman could do to rectify the circumstances of her life Her labor benefited her master, his family and the Southern economy Here's your outline to get started History of American Women Lecture 1 Why Study Women’s History? Gender? Either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female. Gender is a social construct! Historically women have been denied opportunities, been oppressed, and their contributions because of their gender. Native American women History 111 Lecture 1 North America Before Contact Who lived here? How did they live? Values / Ideals Native Americans Over 60 million Native Americans lived in North America before European arrival Tribes were diverse Lived differently according to region and spiritual beliefs Native Women’s Life and Work in Society Native American women had a variety of roles in their societies Work was sometimes divided by sex and age but women’s work was essential for the tribe’s survival Women’s work was valued Some work consisted of processing foods gathering seeds, fruits, roots cooked, preserved foods made household utensils and furnishing nurturing and child-bearing. 6 Kinship and Extended Family Matrilineal: kinship and property is passed down through the mother’s line Matrilocal: married couples lived with the wife’s family 7 European Views on Native Americans First descriptions were written by men Misunderstood / Misinterpreted European and Christian values Biased Most indigenous tribes did not have written languages European views dominated popular understanding of Indigenous life (to this day) European Impact on Native Life By the 1630’s epidemics and plague decimated most New England tribes Colonization weakened the position of all coastal Indians Women’s roles in Indian society were impacted Intermarriage with Europeans Adoption of European ways of life Participation in the changing economy The New Economy Trade in animal hides was a major component of the economy in early America. Women linked ‘Indian’ Country to the expanding transatlantic economy Served as linguistic and cultural interpreters Fished, trapped small game Prepared skins for shipment Made clothing, prepared food Women played a key role in the fur trade. Cost of the Fur Trade Native Americans became tied to European capitalism and world market Many tribes became dependent on European goods Women’s work was devalued Degraded the environment and changed subsistence patterns Alcoholism left many Indian families in poverty To be continued We will continue to examine these ideas, themes and the history of Native American women and of colonialism as we work through this course. 12 New Doc 2017-09-01 A n n e H u tc h irıs o n B u ild in g o n th e a ch ie u e m e n ts of C o tu m b a s a n d o th e r e x pło r e r s , S p a in e s ta b ıis h e d p e r m a n e n t c o lo n ie s in th e A m e r ic a s w etl b efo r e B rita in b e c a m e a m a jo r fo r c e in th e A g e o f E x p lo r a tio n N o t u n tiĮ th e s e u e n te e n th c e n tu r y d iä E n g İa n d c r e a te e n d u r in g N e to W o r Įd s e ttle m e n ts A m o n g th e e a rlie s t w a s M a s s a c h u s e tts B a y , w h ic h E n glish P u r ita n s lo u n đe d cįu rin g th e 1 6 30 s T h e in d i u id u a ıs in u o ıu e d in th is m ig r a tio n c a m e ĵ o r a u (u ie ty o f r e a s o n s B y a c o n s icle r a b İ e m a c e r ta įn Įy s o a m o n g th o s e tu k o ıe đ th e m o ų e m e n t İ n M a s s a c h tłs e tţ s th e y w o u ld b e fr e e lr o m th e o pp r e s s io n of A r ch bis h o p 1 łd a n d u th a t th e y s a m a s th e a pp a łıin gly lo w m o r a l a n d r eligio u s s ta n d a r d s o f S ttła r t E n gla n d T h e y a ls o h 叩 e d to e s ta blish a " B ible C o m n ï o n w e a lth " th【ıt t u o tłld in sp ir e p e o ple e u e r y w h e r e to c o n tin u e th e g r e a t w o rk o f reıig io u s r efo r m Į n th e iT \ r ts to c r e a te this m o d e Į s o c ie ty , P u r ita n ıe a đe r s s tr o n g įy e m p ha s iz e d th e n e e d J°" d is c ip lin e a n il o b e die n c e T h is did n o t m e a n th a t th ey m e r e in lłe x ible a u th o r ita r ia n s T h e P u r ita n s b ełie u e d in lib e rty , b u t it w a s a sp e c ia İ k in d o ï tib e r ty w h a t h is to r ia n D a u id H a ck e tt F is c h e r h a s c a lle d o r d e r e d lib e r ty A c c o r âin g to th is c o n c ep tio n , lib e r ty