pilgrim/puritan
2006-10-05 01:39:46 · 3 answers · asked by Jasz 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
The jobs that *any* colonial era woman had were centered around her home and family. Women in Europe had it a bit easier, as they were able to shop in the local towns on market days for foods they were unable to grow.
However, when people emigrated to the New World, those conveniences were gone. 100% of the burden of caring for home and family were on the woman's shoulders. The men of the household brought in meat, firewood, and did the heavy labor plowing, cabin building, butchering, shearing sheep, etc.
The women gardened, kept house, spun and wove cloth for their clothing, made the clothing for the entire family, knitted socks and sweaters, raised children, kept a fire burning, cooked, home schooled, milked cows, fed animals, performed basic medical care... ALL without electricity, modern conveniences, and generally without help from their men.
It's no wonder women died young, often in childbirth, and their husbands married several times. It was common for several generations of women to live together and share the burden of keeping house. Life expectancy was short and life was very difficult. A woman could specialize in being a midwife if she chose, to help women in their pregnancies, in addition to her other duties. Most women grew medicinal herbs as part of their gardens.
There was very little spare time for leisure activities, so it was an occasion to be celebrated when several households of women would gather to quilt, share news and recipes and create something from scraps of precious spare cloth.
Until the advent of electricity and modern conveniences such as washing machines, inside plumbing, store bought food and public education, all the above tasks (and many more) were women's jobs.
2006-10-05 02:20:39 · answer #1 · answered by Mmerobin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same jobs as women everywhere! Cleaning cooking looking after the men and the children. Farming probably as well. Nursing and making up herbal medicines. Looking after the animals. Everything!
2006-10-05 02:22:25 · answer #2 · answered by survivor 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Barney Fwank is the Mass Democrats' version of a woman.
2016-03-18 05:04:37 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To make babies and cook Thanksgiving just like tradition
2006-10-05 02:01:09 · answer #4 · answered by lilmomma91206 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋