In order to examine women’s status and life in a Puritan society in the New World, we first have to know why people left their native country. Marilyn J. Westerkamp tries to give some reasons in her book Women and Religion in Early America: In the early sixteenth century the Reformation arrived in England (3) and in the following decades a Puritan culture developed. A website1 tells us that in its core a description of man’s direct relationship to God could be found and that thus no one needed a priest to contact God.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Puritan movement was attacked by Anglican bishops so that a few tried to flee. When Charles І became monarch, a tendency of being less tolerant towards Puritan clerics grew; as a result of this many influential Puritans were arrested. Due to the fact that under the reign of this king numerous ceremonies were formalized and made more complex, the Puritans felt that religious ceremonies became artificial and thus their dissatisfaction grew. From 1628 on, they started to think of emigration to escape the monarch’s control (Westerkamp 13).
English Puritans founded in April 1630 a colony in the New World, called New England. Westerkamp calls this community, which was built in the wilderness, a “holy experiment”. As New England was created with the help of England, but without an interference of the monarch (Westerkamp 14), it was possible to develop the colony independently from the oversea’s monarchy. In this “experiment” as many women as men were involved and due to the direct contact between God and the individual, religious power could be given to anybody (Westerkamp 11). Therefore the status and the role of a woman might differ to that in England.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Marriages
III. The Status of a Woman in a Puritan Family
III.1 The Typical Respective Roles
III.2 Becoming a little bit more Independent
IV. The Position of Women in a Religious Context
IV.1 Equality on the surface
IV.2 Religion Ordered by Gender
IV.3 Religion Ordered by Education
V. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the social and religious status of women in New England's Puritan society during the seventeenth century, exploring the paradox between their domestic subordination and their essential role in the "holy experiment."
- Legal and social dependency of women on male relatives
- The impact of the frontier environment on women's independence
- Gender-based restrictions within the Puritan religious framework
- The role of education as a barrier to religious leadership
- The paradoxical perception of women as both weak and essential pillars of the household
Excerpt from the Book
III.2 Becoming a little bit more Independent
Christine Leigh Heyrman published an essay in the world wide web, where she explains that it is true that wives were subordinated to their husbands, but that they were entrusted with a wide range of practical responsibilities. A very important factor that influenced the independency of women in the New World is mentioned by Marilyn Westerkamp (16). The frontier environment demanded more skills upon women, but it offered them more opportunities. Men often were absent; sometimes because they were looking for business in neighboring colonies, sometimes because they joined wars against Indians or other colonizers.
Due to this fact, women were left alone at home; so that they were forced to develop further skills. They did not only deal with all household affairs, but took on public business as well. So, with the help of environmental factors, women were able to improve their position in society.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Provides historical context on the Puritan movement and the founding of the New England colony as a "holy experiment."
II. Marriages: Analyzes the necessity of marriage in Puritan society, emphasizing the biblical and social requirements for subordination and order.
III. The Status of a Woman in a Puritan Family: Examines the legal and domestic dependency of women and how the frontier environment occasionally fostered greater independence.
IV. The Position of Women in a Religious Context: Discusses the apparent religious equality of Puritans contrasted with the reality of male-controlled sermons, sacraments, and limited educational access for women.
V. Conclusion: Summarizes the paradoxical nature of women's lives, highlighting that despite systematic subordination, they played a central and essential role in the functioning of Puritan society.
Keywords
Puritanism, Seventeenth Century, New England, Gender Roles, Marriage, Social Hierarchy, Religious Context, Women's Status, Domesticity, Independence, Education, Colonial History, Frontier Environment, Patriarchy, Theology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper explores the position and life of women within the Puritan society of seventeenth-century New England, analyzing both their social and religious status.
What are the central thematic areas?
The work covers marital expectations, domestic duties, the impact of the frontier on female independence, and religious restrictions based on gender and education.
What is the core research objective?
The goal is to determine how the status and role of women in the New World colony differed from their counterparts in England, given the unique religious and environmental context.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative approach, analyzing historical texts, literature, and scholarly essays to synthesize the socio-religious conditions of the time.
What does the main body address?
It covers the structure of Puritan families, the necessity and dynamics of marriage, the paradoxical treatment of women in church, and the barriers created by limited educational opportunities.
Which keywords define this research?
Key terms include Puritanism, Gender Roles, New England, Social Hierarchy, and Religious Context.
How did the frontier environment specifically affect women?
The frontier often required men to be absent, which forced women to take on additional skills and manage public business, inadvertently leading to an increase in their independence.
Why were women considered to have a paradoxical status in the Puritan church?
While Puritans believed all individuals—regardless of gender—could have a direct relationship with God, women were systematically excluded from voting, leading public prayers, and formal leadership roles.
What role did education play in the religious hierarchy?
Education was viewed as a source of authority; because women were largely excluded from higher education, they were effectively disqualified from reaching higher religious ranks.
- Quote paper
- Stephanie Machate (Author), 2004, The position of women in the New World’s Puritan Society in the seventeenth century, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75834
