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.