As English colonial society became more structured in the eighteenth century, what were the effects on women?
A) They received more legal rights, such as the right to own property in their own names.
B) Women's work became more clearly defined as tied closely to the home.
C) Their workloads decreased thanks to technological advances such as the spinning wheel and to declining infant mortality rates.
D) Women were permitted to practice law.
E) Women bore so few children that population levels slightly declined in the 1740s, then stabilized until the American Revolution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As English colonial society became more structured in the eighteenth century, women's work became more clearly defined as tied closely to the home. This was a result of the rise of the ideology of "republican motherhood," which held that women should be responsible for instilling republican values in their children and supporting their husbands' political activity. Women were expected to focus on domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and raising children. While some women did gain legal rights, such as the right to own property in their own names, this did not apply to the majority of women. Technological advances did lead to some decrease in women's workloads, but the overall trend was towards more clearly defined gender roles in colonial society. Women were not permitted to practice law, and population levels did not decline due to women bearing fewer children.

As English Colonial Society Became More Structured in the Eighteenth