American Woman 1
American Woman
Sarah Davis
HIS204
Daniel French
September 19, 2009
American Woman 2
Abstract
Women throughout history have changed their role in America. This paper will show some of the social/cultural, economic, literary, political, and religious changes that have occurred in American History over the time periods covered in the course. This paper will be divided into five Units. Unit I 1861-1876, Unit II 1877-1920, Unit III, 1921-1945, Unit IV 1946-1976 and Unit V 1976-Present.
American Woman
Unit I
During 1861-1876 many changes happen in the United States particularly to the women of the United States. Between these dates the United States when through a Civil war between the Union and seceding Confederacy which forced women to join in the war as battle field triage doctors and nurses and it also trust them in the head of house hold role because the males of the family were off fighting the war. This was new to the women who were use to the typical gender role of “The women take care of house and children while the men provide for the house and the family”. After the Civil war had ended and Reconstruction (banned slavery by the 13th Amendment) began, many of the men who were gone way fighting the war started to return. This relieved the women from the dual roles that they had to play as man and woman of the house. Although the ‘Man of the house’ had returned it didn’t necessarily mean that the woman’s job at home got easier. Many of the soldier that returned home, returned wounded and maimed and could no longer perform simply task as they use to so that remained in the hands to the women and children. This new return of wounded men put an extra burden on the women who were already taken care of the house, the children and the chores. By 1865...