Puritans Women
Introduction
Women are considered significant contributors to the country’s development in the modern world. Their contributions in the development are evident through the leadership roles they assume in the corporate world. For instance, Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors Company is an established woman has contributed a series of success in the organization. Apart from corporate world women are still excelling in politics because several countries are led by women in today’s era. For example, the German Chancellor is a woman and many people have been hailing her due to her recommendable leadership. Such changes on women have come to a surprise considering how Puritan women were treated during the early and mid 17th century. Puritans women were regarded as creatures with moral weakness since they were associated with Eve’s sinful character in the holy bible (Gribben, 2017). Puritans believed women were susceptible and prone to temptations since such qualities can be manipulated into sinful actions. Therefore, this paper is tailored to discuss life, significant women, belief, and struggle faced by Puritans women.
Puritans Women’s Life
Puritans were extremely strict with traditional social norms that there are roles for women and men. As a result, puritans maintained their belief that men must be more superior to women in society. The situation was worse for women after the interpretation of the holy bible where they argued that men must be in a higher position and decision-makers since the bible requires females to obey their husbands. Puritans argued that women were just created to help men rather than coming with their projects or ideas (Gribben, 2017). Consequently, puritan women were not allowed to speak in public gatherings such as churches and public meetings. Women were only required to control sexuality including being obedient, humble, and modest to their men (Hambrick & C.E, 2013). Some of the responsibilities required to be assumed by Puritan women include cloth making, regulating medical remedy, and food processing. Despite their contributions in the family, Puritans women were denied the rights to own properties and were left to take care of family and house chores. For instance, Puritans women could not vote in the general court as well as limited interaction with the local government. Additionally, Puritan women couldn’t sue anyone in a court of law. More regrettably, Puritans women used to give birth at least seven times from the age of 22, and men could not aid them in delivery.
Religion belief
The rights violations of puritan women were also extended to the world of religion. Religion has strict rules that prohibited women from participating in either preaching or performing any other critical role in the church. For instance, puritan women were not allowed to speak or serve in the church since they were believed vulnerable to sins weakness (Gribben, 2017). However, the hidden truth was that men feared that religion could influence revolution hence forcing them to demand equal rights as men. Despite being denied to preach or lead in the religion, women were required to attend church service and failure to which they would get a fine. Religion was also used to control women’s way of life and they prohibited to act in any kind of adultery. Puritans believed that women’s body is part of God’s work hence any act of adultery could result in severe God’s punishment in the society (Crawford P, 2014). Puritans had set inhumane punishment for those to violate religious teachings. For instance, society allowed the hanging of the women would found committing adultery. At times, they sat in a public place, with public spatting and laughing at them. There was a belief that pregnant women who had a male child had complexion, which is rosy, while those with a female child had pale.
Struggles of Puritans women
The history of struggles among puritan women is wide as it ranges from social, economic, political, and religious life. Women had to struggle to get valuable basic rights such as education. However, Puritans had hidden reasons for denying education to women. The leaders and particularly men knew that education could bring enlightenment to women hence forcing them to demand their rights (Gribben, 2017). Furthermore, education would enable women to read and understand the bible hence marking the beginning of the women’s revolution and deviance to their men. The demand for knowledge brought up the push for education and the establishment of schools by the women. Due to access to “light of education,” women’s religious leaders started to emerge since they could read and interpret the Bible on their own (Kamensky, 2013). Also, through women’s struggles, independence came into place. Individualism encouraged many women to pursue and do what she wants without necessary demands from their husbands and society leadership. Such independence among women made society strong as they could unite and aid men to contribute to a stronger society.
Influential women
Anne Hutchison was one of the most influential women that brought changes to the Puritan women. Hutchison was a spiritual leader in Puritan who challenged religious authorities that were dominated by men during colonial Massachusetts (Bremer, 2018). Hutchison preaching attracted a significant population and gathered groups of women, advising them to defy gender roles in the community. As a result, male authorities in the colony became threatened and started planning on ways to silence her. Hutchison’s influence began in her early life after getting married when her father died. Anne and other women started a session of bible teaching, and later she followed John Cotton, who was Puritan Minister preaching God as a source of mercy.
In 1636, Hutchison expanded her preaching, and she started the healing mission, something which attracted massive population, including men. Hutchison’s threats forced the Massachusetts governor, Henry Vane, to hold at least one meeting with her within a week (Bremer, 2018). However, Anne’s mission was opposed by John Winthrop after he was re-elected as a governor. Winthrop mobilized the puritan government and other male-dominated clergies to terminate religious dissidence. The leaders were worried that Anne might influence women to refuse to work and go against the colony and church rules.
The year 1643 marked the end of Anne’s influence as this was the year when she met death. Anne was forced to renounce her beliefs after the death of Williams in 1642. The authorities coerced her to believe that Rhode Island Territory would be taken over by Massachusetts (Bremer, 2018). Anne opted to runway from Massachusetts’ meddling and fled to the Dutch colony, which is current New York City. The family of Anne was attacked one afternoon at their home in 1643 by Siwanoy warriors who were Native American. More than 15 individuals, including Anne Hutchison, were stabbed to death, and all the bodies were burned.
Mary Rowlandson was another significant woman in Puritan who portrays the real struggle of women in society. Rowlandson’s suffering extends to her children since they were forced to perform house chores. Rowlandson was also separated from her family due to an attack from the Native American (Özen, 2018). The attacks forced her to flee for safety with her children whereby her young child was injured. The injuries resulted in death but through confidence and determination were able to meet the King who helped Rowlandson to meet her husband.
In 1675 Native Americans attacked the Lancaster settlement leaving many survivors captives including the death of other people. Mary and her three children were among the survivors who turned to be captives. Other members of the Rowlandson family were killed including Mary’s brother-in-law (Özen, 2018). Mary and her children were forced by Native American to go into the wilderness. Rowlandson experienced a difficult journey since she had already injured with her daughter. Rowlandson met another Robert Pepper who was another captive bur he tried to help Mary after reaching in Wenimesset. Later, Rowlandson was sold as a captive to another Indian who had a relationship with King Philip by marriage. The injured daughter of Rowlandson died while she was sold and buried by the family that owned her as a captive.
The Indians gave Rowlandson a bible to read that provided her with hope despite being separated from her children and sad experience of her daughter’s death. However, Rowlandson continued she was further separated from her friends after another attack by Native American (Özen, 2018). While they were on the journey, various Indians and Rowlandson planned to meet King Philip. Rowlandson started sewing clothes for Indian in compensation of food as a return. After some days, Rowlandson traveled with Indians towards the south along the Connecticut River. It was during this period of traveling Rowlandson and Indians were joined by Thomas Read. Read informed Rowlandson that her husband was still alive something that brought hope to her. After all that suffering, Indians reached Wachuset where they planned to discuss whether to provide freedom to Rowlandson (Özen, 2018). Fortunately, King Philip agreed to grant freedom to Rowlandson but her husband was required to pay twenty pounds. After a series of attacks victories, Rowlandson managed to return to Lancaster where she united with her children, sister, and husband.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the independence of Puritan women came through various challenges and struggles. Puritanism religion and education played a critical role in women’s revolution in society. However, it is evident from the above discussion that women’s rights were profoundly violated in Puritan society. The women violations forced influential women such as Ann Hutchison and Bradstreet to champion for the rights of women (Gribben, 2017). These women came to understand their roles and thus opened the community to develop. Such women revolution changed Puritans’ ideas that didn’t allow women to speak in public gatherings, thus ignoring the fact that some women possess useful knowledge relating to issues that affected the community. Nowadays, we have seen the roles played by women in churches. They have proved themselves as great intercessors which the Puritans ignored. From the group of significant women from Puritans, it’s evident that women can bring significant reforms in society if granted the opportunity to serve.
References
Bremer, F. J. (2018). Dissenting Puritans: Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer. Historical Journal of Massachusetts, 46(1), 22-X.
Crawford, P. (2014). Women and Religion in England: 1500-1720. Routledge.
Gribben, C. (2017). Hunter Powell, The Crisis of British Protestantism. Church power and the Puritan revolution, 1638–44.
Hambrick-Stowe, C. E. (2013). The practice of piety: Puritan devotional disciplines in seventeenth-century New England. UNC Press Books.
Kamensky, J. (2013). Words, Witches, and Woman Trouble: Witchcraft, Disorderly Speech, and Gender Boundaries in Puritan New England. New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic and Demonology, 4, 196-217.
Özen, Ö. (2018). A Critical Linguistic Approach In A Narrative Of The Captivity And Restoration Of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Journal Of International Social Research, 11(58).