Women In The 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Women In The 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries In the 17th century rich women would normally be taught at home by a tutor, they were taught subjects like Latin, French, Needlework, and how to converse, and they were also taught how to look pretty and to play instruments like the piano. When they were older there parents would decide who they were going to marry and the family of the women would pay a dowry to the parents of the husband. They only got married to get more popular and look more important, if the wives husband thought the wives got annoying the husband would put a scolds bridle on her head. If the husband wanted to get divorced the husband could just take the wife to market. A rich women wouldn't normally get a job, they would just stay at home and look after the family and tell the servants what to do. Poor women did not go to school or have an education, they just looked after their home, and span cotton or worked in fields. Poor women had to look after there children and prepare meals, work in the fields and produce cotton, they didn't get paid much and had to work hard. Women In The 19th Century In the 19th century rich women were educated at home by tutors and learned pretty much the same as in the 17th century, learn to play the piano, speak French, entertain quests, look attractive, and entertain guests. After 1870 it was made compulsory for all women to have an education, Girls didn't learn the same subjects as boys, they learnt subjects like laundry, cookery, needlework and housewifery skills. Rich women did work, but ran their home bossing their servants around, after 1870 some women became teachers and after the typewriter was invented some became secretaries or clerks. At this time all women had to retire when they were married. A rich women's servants did all a her domestic tasks at home. So all she needed to do at home was look good and attractive and boss servants about. School wasn't made compulsory until 1870 until then poor people didn't go to school because they couldn't afford it. Poor women had to work as well as bringing up her children, they had to work in coal mines and factories for long hours earning little money, up until 1870 young children would be expected to work too.