Separate Spheres and Women's Work

Separate Spheres Ideology, Education, Sexuality, Lowell Mill Girls & Working-Class Women

Sally Hemmings

Thomas Jeffersons concubine, had his children, went back to the states with him from paris with the promise that her children would be free

“Golden Age”

was seen as a golden age because of increased participation in workforce; but was it really a golden age, because women and children were now being abused by the workforce

industrial class system

introduction of this system pushed women into low-paying factory jobs; included long hours and poor working conditions; women still had to take care of family and run household on top of 12 hour work day

The Cult of True Womanhood

the true woman was pious, pure, domestic, and submissive

Sarah Hale

journalist/writer, widow, responsible for several “ladies magazines”, turned to writing out of necessity (to support herself), emphasizes cult of true womanhood (but contradicts it by her action of writing)

Emma Willard

ran Troy Seminary, education advocate, dedicated her life to education

Troy Seminary

boarding school for girls, upper/middle class girls, educate girls to be more than wives and mothers

Catherine Beecher

never married, author, best known for books about housekeeping, advocate of women’s education and career as teachers

sexual coercion

unwanted sexual attention, pressure; unconsentual; power difference; harassment, assault, rape

Rachel Davis

servant who was sexually assaulted, her abuser was held accountable for his actions due to hers fathers efforts/ability to stand up for her

Harriet Jacobs

slave who was sexually assaulted, her abuser was not held accountable and she was forced to fun away and hide

abortion

was legal and very common at this time, wasn’t seen as amoral yet

abortifacient

a drug that causes loss of fetus; a type of abortion

pastoralization

romanticizes housework; privilege of domesticity; within the household the women is creating a positive space for others, “happy household”

“breadwinner” role

brings home necessities to family, supports the family financially, typically the man

piecework

women would get p[aid for the amount of pieces they sewed, was a way for women to make money while they took care of their home and family

Lowell, Massachusetts

wanted to prove that American factories were superior to British, this doesn’t happen; Lowell mill girls

pin money

idea that women didn't need the money they earned (women were taking valuable jobs from men), they would just go spend it on things like jewellery and clothes, “women didn't belong in the workforce”