African Americans During Wars

Mammy archetype

Mammy

Mammy is the most well known and enduring racial caricature of African American women.Mammy was portrayed as dark-skinned, often pitch black, in a society that regarded black skin as ugly, tainted. She was obese, sometimes morbidly overweight. Moreover, she was often portrayed as old, or at least middle-aged. The attempt was to desexualize mammy. The implicit assumption was this: No reasonable white man would choose a fat, elderly black woman instead of the idealized white woman. The black mammy was portrayed as lacking all sexual and sensual qualities. The de-eroticism of mammy meant that the white wife -- and by extension, the white family, was safe.

Women At Work

In 1900, 18.8% of women were in the workforce. This number may seem small but it is a large step when comparing the status of women in previous years. As the industry continued to boom, women began to find jobs in both factories and mills. Women would form unions to fight against the unfair wages they received as well as the horrific working conditions they encountered. At this time, women were also working as teachers, typists, sale clerks, and many other jobs. Some women even began to receive typically male jobs, including science, medicine and law. Many small steps were being taken by women in hopes of improving their status in society.


Crowded factories and mills

The Womens Trade Union League fought for the 8 hour work day








sources: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/womenofthecentury/decadebydecade/1900s.html

Women in the Civil War

When women were not illegally fighting during the Civil War women had other important roles...

 

 

 

 

When battle began, both armies

were unprepared for the wounded.

Women with no medical training

would rush out to the front lines to

help injured soldiers.

 

 Within two months, it was decided that Dorothea Dix would be appointed Superintendent of Nurses.



The Lowell Mill Girls

The Lowell Mills in Lowell, Massachsuetts employed young girls and women to work in their textile factories starting in the 1830's.

The early mill­girls were of different ages. Some were not over ten years old; a few were in middle life, but the majority were between the ages of sixteen and twenty­five. The very young girls were called "doffers." They "doffed," or took off, the full bobbins from the spinning­frames, and replaced them with empty ones. These mites worked about fifteen minutes every hour and the rest of the time was their own. When the overseer was kind they were allowed to read, knit, or go outside the mill­yard to play. They were paid two dollars a week. The working hours of all the girls extended from five o'clock in the morning until seven in the evening, with one half­hour each, for breakfast and dinner. Even the doffers were forced to be on duty nearly fourteen hours a day. This was the greatest hardship in the lives of these children. Several years later a ten­hour law was passed, but not until long after some of these little doffers were old enough to appear before the legislative committee on the subject, and plead, by their presence, for a reduction of the hours of labor.

Those of the mill­girls who had homes generally worked from eight to ten months in the year; the rest of the time was spent with parents or friends. A few taught school during the summer months. Their life in the factory was made pleasant to them. In those days there was no need of advocating the doctrine of the proper relation between employer and employed. Help was too valuable to be ill­treated....

One of the first strikes of cotton-factory operatives that ever took place in this country was that in Lowell, in October, 1836. When it was announced that the wages were to be cut down, great indignation was felt, and it was decided to strike, en masse. This was done. The mills were shut down, and the girls went in procession from their several corporations to the “grove” on Chapel Hill, and listened to “incendiary” speeches from early labor reformers.
One of the girls stood on a pump, and gave vent to the feelings of her companions in a neat speech, declaring that it was their duty to resist all attempts at cutting down the wages. This was the first time a woman had spoken in public in Lowell, and the event caused surprise and consternation among her audience.
Cutting down the wages was not their only grievance, nor the only cause of this strike. Hitherto the corporations had paid twenty—five cents a week towards the board of each operative, and now it was their purpose to have the girls pay the sum; and this, in addition to the cut in the wages, would make a difference of at least one dollar a week. It was estimated that as many as twelve or fifteen hundred girls turned out, and walked in procession through the streets. They had neither flags nor music, but sang songs, a favorite (but rather inappropriate) one being a parody on “I won’t be a nun. ”
"Oh! isn’t it a pity, such a pretty girl as I-
Should be sent to the factory to pine away and die?
Oh ! I cannot be a slave,
I will not be a slave,
For I’m so fond of liberty
That I cannot be a slave."

Pictures:

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/americanstudies/lavender/lowell.html

http://weave-away.blogspot.com/2011/05/lowell-mill-girls.html

http://edu.glogster.com/glog.php?glog_id=3948375&scale=100

http://weave-away.blogspot.com/2011/05/lowell-mill-girls.html

http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2005/mickeyz030905.html

http://workingwomen.wikispaces.com/Lowell+Mill+Girls

http://b-womeninamericanhistory19.blogspot.com/2010/01/lucy-larcom-poet-and-mill-girl.html

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/americanstudies/lavender/lowegal3.html

http://weave-away.blogspot.com/2011/05/lowell-mill-girls.html

http://yesteryearsnews.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/the-mill-girls-going-going-gone/

Information:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/robinson-lowell.asp

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5714

The FIRST First Lady

Martha Washington

Martha Dandridge was born in 1731 to a wealthy family. At age 19 Martha married Daniel Parke Custis, who was 38. Martha became a widow in 1757 and received a third of her husband's estate. 

"Although widowhood was burdensome and challenging, it also offered women greater freedom than they had as wives. Married women lived under the strictures of coverture. As defined by English common law, coverture meant that once a woman married she could not own property, sue or be sued in court, or make contracts. Widows, however, acted in place of the male head of household and were allowed to perform all these functions."

At age 26, Martha was widow but owned 300 slaves and 17,500 acres of land on which she planted tobacco. Most widows at that time remarried for financial support, but Martha was well off and decided to marry for love. Martha married George Washington in 1759 after knowing him for ten months.

"Their attraction was mutual, powerful, and immediate. Martha was charming, attractive, and, of course, wealthy. George had his own appeal. Over six foot two inches tall (compared with Martha, who was only five feet tall), George was an imposing figure whose reputation as a military leader preceded him. Like his future wife, Washington’s own social status had improved as a result of an unfortunate death. After his half-brother Lawrence and his widow died, Washington had inherited Mount Vernon, a beautiful 2000-acre estate located high above the Potomac River in Northern Virginia.

For her part, Martha must have believed that in George she had found someone she could trust as well as love. Although some widows wrote legally binding premarital contracts that protected the assets they had from their previous marriage, Martha did not.  For as long as she lived Washington would have the use of Martha’s “widow’s third,” the land, slaves, and money which would be handed down to the Custis heirs after Martha’s death.  In addition, Washington would become the legal guardian of Martha’s children, responsible for managing and protecting their financial affairs."

 Pictures:

http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/martha.html

http://misskleio.wordpress.com/

Information:

http://marthawashington.us/

Feminine stereotypes

This video depicts the roles and expectations women were expected to uphold during the early twentieth century. It shows clips of things from proper etiquette to how to properly groom oneself. It shows how women were constrained to a certain stereotype, which was and still is difficult to break.