Introduction
Colonial America was never meant to be easy for the life of people. Survival was an appropriate synonym to describe the burdens of the ordinary existence of colonized individuals. Indeed, women of colonial America had to withstand enormous struggles such as oppression and gender discrimination. Experiences of males and females varied significantly – society recognized men in academic and business scopes, while women were attributed as the inferior gender. Scholars created numerous investigations to recover the chronology of events; Carol Berkin’s book became one of the masterpieces dedicated to women’s life in colonial America. It is essential to examine the work’s main arguments and compare women’s social experiences in different colonial regions to investigate the female experience in colonial America.
Discussion
Through essays, Carol Berkin narrates colonial American women, providing valuable insights into colonial life. The author is a history professor; her scholarship aims to identify social limitations for females in colonial America. Moreover, she is concerned with the equality of rights for men and women back then; as known, colonialism refused to equal males and females (Hoffer). Additively, Carol Berkin relies on precise facts and comprehensive research, stating that “generalization” is a problem faced by historians (Berkin 14). Her book reflects “a commitment to locate women along the axes of race, religion, and social class” (Berkin 15). Therefore, attempting to investigate facts and implement them in reality and learning about the social position of colonized women became significant points of Carol Berkin’s exploration throughout her book. The main arguments of Berkin’s masterpiece are disputes between men and women in colonial America, female rights, and the role of women.
When discussing colonial America and women, it is necessary to mention the social attributes and lifestyles of females in various regions. Carol Berkin dedicated the whole chapter to regional and social differences in women’s life, involving the philosophical topic of identity. The author describes different types of women, including female plantation workers and gentlewomen (Berkin). The author narrates a young woman from Southern California who suffered from hard work on a plantation after separating from her children.
According to the author, in colonial South California, education and elevated attributes were ‘possible only in the context of the social class (Berkin 134). Such gentlewomen were focused on the household on equal terms with planter women, whose responsibilities were similar (Berkin). Colonial America equalized all women; their responsibilities were limited to private domestic activities and maternity. Therefore, women’s social aspects and lifestyles varied insignificantly in various regions. Additively, slavery prospered in Southern America, though North and Western areas had slightly different labor and life regime. Women were taught to live in dependence and poverty from their childhood. For example, they have no right to inherit parental property, as it belonged to the woman’s future husband (Berkin). In Pennsylvania, widows remained without finances after their husbands’ death (Berkin). Fathers did not leave a chance for their daughters to inherit money or other property. It seems that females had no legal recognition within society and were left with no sources to exist.
Conclusion
Overall, it is impossible to undervalue the significance of Carol Berkin’s book. This masterpiece is an excellent source of insights and facts concerning women’s life in colonial America. Accordingly, the author made it possible to look through women’s social position and lifestyles back then. Maternity and household became primary responsibilities for females of colonial America irrespectively of their social status or region. As seen, there were slight regional differences described by Carol Berkin; dependence and vulnerability united the females of colonial America.
Works Cited
Berkin, Carol. First Generations: Women in Colonial America. Hill & Wang, 1996.
Hoffer, Peter. Law and People in Colonial America. JHU Press, 2019.