Blog #4

Textbook



1. What were the major components of the ideology of "true womanhood?" How was this ideology linked to the class structure of early nineteenth-century America?


The major components of "true womanhood" are that men and women were considered to be totally different from one another. The women were not allowed to do the jobs that men generally did. They were only allowed to take care of the house, their kids and their husbands. All the taking care of the house, their kids and their husbands was not considered as job. But more of a thing that made them women. As in it was a given that they had to do all they did in order to be considered as a woman. The early nineteenth-century class structure in America is that high class women were supposed to look pretty, take care of their husbands, kids and home. The middle class and lower class women were supposed to work and take care of their husbands, kids and home.



2. What is the significance of the Lowell mill girls in the history of U.S. women and work? What were the implications of the decline of the Lowell system?


The significance of the Lowell mill girls is that they were giving an optimistic view of industrial life. As in it was good for everyone to work there. They basically did the same things they would do at home. Which was to sew. So now there were factories where they can go and do the same things only easier than by sewing with their hands. The women also were able to write and get their written materials published in their magazine. This helped most of these women to end up having a writing career.The implications of the decline was that the economic pressures were at
fault for the decline for the Lowell system. Because the owners of the factories thought that since the workers were women it would not matter if they started cutting their paychecks. But they underestimated the women. Instead these women started striking. This was unheard of during this time.



Textbook document



1. What is Sanger’s view of the moral nature of women?


Dr. Sanger believed that the prostitutes were victims themselves, because he could not believe that any woman would willingly have sex for money, also have sex out of marriage. He believes they were victims, because they were forced to become prostitutes by the circumstances of their lives. The circumstances were from starvation of themselves and their kids to being violated. He had a middle class view of prostitutes. Also his view of woman in general was of the middle class. Which was mainly that a woman would not willingly have sex outside of the marriage, and also get payed. And if a woman actually does have sex outside of the marriage and also has sex and gets payed willingly than they were not worth considering and mentioning.


2. What does Sanger think are the cause and consequences of prostitution for women?


Dr. Sanger thinks the causes and consequences of women becoming prostitutes is that their life circumstances cause them to become prostitutes. The list of the reasons he got from prostitutes when he did his research is that they were seduced and abandoned, they drink and want to drink, they were badly treated by their parents, husbands and relatives. They were surrounded by the wrong people. Other prostitutes convinced them to become prostitutes as well. They were violated. These were the causes of why women became prostitutes. The consequences were that these women would end up getting sexually transmitted diseases. If they wanted to get out of this occupation they could not, because no one would hire them or except them.



3. How do Sanger’s conclusions about prostitution reflect the values of his own day?


Dr. Sanger's conclusions about prostitution reflects the values of his own day by his view of prostitutes is the same sometimes with the views of prostitution by the society at that time. Meaning he had sympathy with those women who were forced to be prostitutes. But when the woman willingly chose to be a prostitute as in she had no reason too. She didn't need the money
for food or to take care of her family, she wasn't forced by people around her to be a prostitute. Dr. Sanger did not sympathise with these women. Because in his beliefs no woman would willingly become a prostitute, and also have sex outside of marriage. That is what the values of his time were.

Blog #3

1.This chapter examines Native American, black, and white women’s experiences in the revolutionary era and argues that women in all groups faced choices. What were these choices? And what are their implications for understanding women’s participation in the American Revolution?


The choices that Native American, black, and white woman experienced in the revolutionary era is where they stood. The Native American women's choice was whether to join with the British or not. Most women chose to be with the British even marrying British men. One Native American woman did and when she was widowed after the war she went back to her people and was considered wealthy and had a high status. The black women's choice was either to escape and get freedom on their own, or get their freedom by working for the British. Most of them decided to work for the British and get their freedom that way. Even though they were not treated any better than their owners treated them when they were slaves working at the plantations.The reason this was true was because the British thought of them as pawns in this war. The white women's choice was whether she would join her husband who fought on the side of the British. Or to go against their husbands and support the Americans. For the Quaker women it was harder because they did not support war,but they did support the troops and were worried about both the American soldiers and the British soldiers. But they were still on the American side even if they didn't support the war. These were the choices all the women had to make during the American Revolution. The implications were that even though they had choices to make they still were not allowed to participate in the politics of it. As in they had to do the same things they always did and that was to take care of their husbands, children and their home. They also had to go along with their husbands choices even if they were against their husbands beliefs on who's side to be on.



2. How would you summarize the revolution’s legacies to women?



The revolution's legacy to Native American women were that they were losing their worth in their communities. As in now that the men were not allowed to hunt, they became restless and turned to drinking and abusing their women. Then they slowly started giving up their traditions and following the European tradition where the men farmed and the women were farmers wives. The revolution's legacy to black women were that the ones who went with the British were resold to slavery in other countries. The ones who got their freedom during the war by themselves without joining the British, managed to stay free but some were caught and brought
back to their owners. The ones who remained free started doing the same work as when they were slaves but were free and able to make money. Mostly the black women in the north were getting their freedoms by going to court and also petitioning for opening their own boarding
houses and schools. The revolution's legacy to white women were that they had a little more freedom to pursue more than just taking care of their home, husbands and kids. Now they can take care of their husbands jobs while they were out of town for government work. In some states women were allowed to vote as were the few black men and women who were free. But that soon was taken away too. They were also allowed to get a divorce on the grounds that the husband cheated on her or was not their for most their marriage. The widows who lost their homes turned to working in schools as teachers, sellers at stores.




3. What was "Republican motherhood," and what is its significance?


The "Republican motherhood" is when women get an education. The significance of "Republican motherhood" was so that the woman can get education and be able to educate their sons.To be able to talk intellectually with their husbands and be able to understand how the household worked financially. The idea that women will educate their sons, was so that their sons will get better positions in their lives and be able to prosper. Ofcourse once they got their education women wanted to get more education and to learn alongside men. Even though the education women were getting were supposed to help the women get a better and a happy marriage.




4. What was the impact of the Great Awakening on women’s experiences during the colonial period?


The impact of the Great Awakening on women's experience was that it brought religion to the forefront. This religion was the Evangelicalism. There were more people going to church now. It also was there to start equality among, race, gender, and class. In some religious groups women were allowed to elect deacons, etc... In the South there is a group that let women be deaconesses, etc... .But not every denomination let women be deaconesses or ministers. Now people had to get used to the new way of living. From Puritan way of living to Evangelical way of living. As time went on though more and more women's roles in churches were diminished.

Blog #2

1. Given the enormous variety among Native American women, are there any
generalizations we can draw about their experiences in the era of conquest?

The generalizations we can get about the experiences among Native American women in the era of conquest.
Is that most European women did not understand that most Native American tribes were matrilineal. That the woman had equal or higher value as the men in their tribe. But the European woman were convinced that the
Native American woman were forced to take care of their men by, preparing the meat, building the houses,
etc... . While the men just went hunting and that is it. Then there was the whole thing where when the Spanish
conquest happened they tried to make them convert and to be patriarchal instead of matriarchal. They also
wanted the woman to have more submissive, modest way of living. Ironically while they wanted the women
to be modest and be in a monogamous relationship, they were busy raping them and kidnapping them
from their families. Some women willingly had sex with the Spanish men in order for the better of their
family and tribe. But most of those women ended up taking a patriarchal view point instead of their main way
of life which was matriarchal.


2. What is the meaning of the statement, "Whether they were slave-owners or not, white
women's lives were inextricably tied up with slavery" (page 22)?

The meaning of this statement is, that during those times white woman were treated the same way as African and Native American women. As in they were no better off then slaves. Even though by law they were not considered as slaves. They were still not allowed to own property, vote, be involved in politics. All they had to do was take care of their home and their husbands and children. Those same laws also pertained to slaves, even though as slaves they could have gotten their freedom and manage their own land. But the number of
slaves that managed to achieve that was a small percentage of the whole population. While white women were not able to and allowed to achieve that.

3. What were the most significant differences among European women colonists?

The most significant differences among European women colonists are that they considered religion, wealth and where you lived as the most important thing in their lives. Also another significant difference among European women colonists was that some women were able to work outside of the home. While other women were not allowed, because they were treated no differently than slaves. This also depended where these women lived and what rights they were allowed. In some areas they had more rights in others they had less. The rich women would mostly spend time with other women in their neighborhood and social class, by having parties and get togethers. These were the most significant differences among European women colonists, but this is not as much because they were still considered as properties of their husbands and so they were not as free as the image they showed toother people.

Blog #1

My name is Rubina Agadjanian. I was born in Armenia and moved to California a month before my fourth birthday. I went to two private schools. The first one was Alex Pilibos. I went there from kindergarden to fourth grade. Then I went to a private french school called Lycee International de Los Angeles. I went there from fifth grade till I graduated. I have been at G.C.C. for the past two and a half years. I had first decided to major in Biology but after about two years of taking the required classes I changed my major to Psychology. I still have not really decided what I want to do in the psychology field. So far I am thinking I would like to become a counselor and a teacher, just like my favorite psychology teacher Dr. Gillooly.

I also love to learn other languages. So far the languages I know fluently are English, French, Armenian. I know Russian quite well but still need more practice speaking wise. I know a little bit of Spanish as well. Now I am slowly teaching myself Hindi. My other interests are mainly reading, drawing, and traveling. I have been to France and have lived there for two months. I will love to go back there and also visit other countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.