The evolution of women’s role in society might be traced back centuries. Some of the historical periods became more prominent than others, such as the era of Puritan communities and the rise of the Evangelical Revival. Further, the differences and similarities of women’s roles in both societies will be discussed.
Analysts state that the Puritan Society in colonial Massachusetts was reigned by the male population (Shi 43). Women who had no males in the family or who became widows were unprotected from accusations of witchcraft or other acts that were perceived as criminal. Women in Puritan Society who were blamed for using witchcraft could only escape the trial if they had husbands who represented them (Shi 137). In contrast, during the 18th century, people started insisting on the features of religious revivals, such as spiritual rebirth and the ethic of benevolence, that women could use to protect themselves against new accusations (Quirion 6). The Great Awakening gave women a chance to challenge men’s existing status quo and demand more rights.
For women in both the Puritan Society and in the Great Awakening, religion played a crucial role in life. Nevertheless, women in colonial Massachusetts lacked the right to be religious leaders (Brekus 65). Any woman without a husband was considered a threat to a man because of the existing patriarchal structure of the Puritan community. At that time, women who failed to fulfill their husbands’ needs and other cultural expectations, such as caring for family and children, were unforgiven (Brekus 75). Women were seen as an extension of their husbands, and husband and wife were perceived as one person by others. A male in a couple was in charge of all duties, which made females feel oppressed and powerless.
While taking care of a family was still one of the primary responsibilities of women during the development of the Evangelic Revival, they achieved the opportunity to become schoolteachers’ positions, which males previously held in the Puritan colonial time. Moreover, women were given the right to become leaders in religious communities. In contrast, in the Puritan society, only Quakers enabled women to s serve as preachers (Brekus 77). Thanks to the Great Awakening, women started preaching and sharing their stories to congregations because they had a chance to analyze their feelings and experience. Women started writing diaries and memoirs about their path with religion introspectively because their previous oppression and passivity fueled their desire to become spiritual leaders who can empower others.
On the one hand, in the Puritan society, all women’s revenues were considered to be their husbands’ achievements; any inheritances or possessions that women had were also transferred to the husband’s property upon the marriage. Furthermore, the wife was supposed to lose her social and civil individuality, and the decision-making power was solely dependent on the husband. On the other hand, in the Great Awakening, preachers encouraged the powerless, especially women, not to follow rich and powerful men (Hartman 17). Instead, democratic individualism was introduced as a concept for women, slaves, servants, and others to base their actions on individual thoughts and values.
Puritan women were not permitted to speak during services while in church as of 1636. This encroached on their religious rights, though they were allowed theological discussion during all-female prayer meetings. Some historians argue that the quality of women’s rights was actually improved by Puritan society, at least in comparison to their previous status in England. For instance, “Body of Liberties”, a law drawn up by Reverend Nathaniel Ward, had a much milder nature (Hall 9). This is reflected in cases such as that of Daniel Ela and his wife Elizabeth, who he told was just his servant. He was reported and fined for the statement.
Anne Hutchinson was one of the first cases of changing conventions when it came to women and their theological beliefs in Puritan society. John Winthrop, a Plymouth Colony Governor, had placed her on trial for conversations about ideologies that did not fall in line with Puritan beliefs (Smith 9). The case stirred severe unrest in the community. However, Hutchinson’s main motivation was only to allow women in her society to interpret and be able to discuss their emotions regarding the bible and other religious matters. The core of the controversy was in the fact that Hutchinsons disregarded that women were the course of the original sin which was an opposing view towards the Puritan beliefs of the time. She defied conventions further by becoming an unofficial minister of a religious discussion circle.
Further on, even men began to attend her talks and she became more visible within the community. Despite being incredibly rare in her outspokenness and likely to be persecuted for it, Hutchinsons gathered a following and were quite progressive in terms of equality.
To make a conclusion, one can state that the Puritan Society in colonial Massachusetts and the period of the Great Awakening showed how fast women’s roles and rights might change in history. The time of women’s oppression in the Puritan Society had triggered women’s firm intention to raise their heads and fight for rights. A world that people know today would be scarce and limited if women and new religious movements would not come to the scene.
Works Cited
Brekus, Catherine, editor. The Religious History of American Women: Reimagining the Past. University of North Carolina Press, 2014.
Hall, L. (2017). Understanding Puritan Womanhood in Feminist America. Web.
Hartman, Holly. Gender in Colonial America: Women and Witches, 2009. Student theses. Digital Commons@WOU.
Shi, David E. America: A Narrative History. 11th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Smith, G. (2012). Women’s Roles in Puritan Culture. Web.
Quirion, K. “The First Great Awakening: Revival and the Birth of a Nation”. Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History, vol. 1, no. (2), 2016, pp. 1-14.