1.Slavery was a major reason why women of the North and South divided in the years immediately before and during the Civil War. In the North, cities were heart of wealth and manufacturing; therefore, women did not need help of slaves because there were many skilled workers. On the contrary, the South did not have much manufacturing. Most of the people were farmers and money came from plantation crops, like cotton, rice, sugar cane and tobacco. Due to this woman needed slaves to work on the plantations. Women of the North were against slavery; where as, the women of the South mainly relied on the slaves so they supported it. The result of the different beliefs of political abolition of the North and South led to civil war.
2.The middle-class gender ideology for women was of strict domestic work which revolved women’s focus mainly around the home and never leaving those premises. However, Antebellum women’s rights movement openly challenged the base of true “Womanhood” and women were no longer only involved in housework; yet, became part of the political world alongside the men. Educational opportunities expanded for women and they soon had job openings: such as, teachers since women were well suited for and initially fitted to deal with children. Even with the abolition movement, men tried to restrain women’s activities. The abolition movement caused men to question women’s positions and made them very uncomfortable.
2 comments:
1.Overall I think you have a great interpretation of the North and the South before and during the Civil War. Northern women were more independent in the means of wanting to be apart of this movement in every way they could by organizing and petitioning against slavery; while the women of the South stood by their husbands and encouraged slavery because they needed the labor from their plantations to make a profit. The North and the South had completely different views on slavery and abolishment of it and it was the main cause of the Civil War.
2.In agreement with your statement- “Antebellum women’s rights movement openly challenged the base of true ‘Womanhood’ and women were no longer only involved in housework; yet, became part of the political world alongside the men” women did wanted to be treated equally to men as much as possible. Women’s voices were finally being heard and their issues were becoming more important. Men’s eyes were staring to open more and seeing women in a different light, which women can be capable of anything a man can do.
I should agree with the first part that slavery was number one reason for separating two groups of women, but not only because some of them were under their husbands' control. I think that geographical reason also occur and helped slaves to become free. As North was not able to have plantations, people on the North did not have a need to keep them, what made possible to think about the unfair life of black slaves. I do believe if there were good fields to plant any of the profitable products North would be glad to keep them and would also have slaves to get more money out of it.
That is true that women were able to start working as teachers. And in it i see the men's mind that women had to take care of children and that was one of the ways, and only because teaching were part of the true womanhood- it was allowed.
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