Blog 3

Republican Motherhood

To what degree did women experience change during the period 1754-1800?

During the period 1754-1800 women didn't experience much change. Women's role in society was altered by the American Revolution. Women who ran households in the absence of men became more assertive. Changes for women would not come overnight. But the American Revolution ignited these changes. Education and respect would lead to the emergence of a powerful, outspoken middle class of women. The first American female academies were founded in the 1790s. This idea of an educated woman became known as the Republican Motherhood. Many have advocated for women's rights such as Abigail Adams who wrote letters to her husband, as well as those who sought to help during the wars.