Stephanie Jimenez

April 1, 2016

History 301

Southern Women

Marli Weiner's essay Domestic Ideology in the South, points out many conflicts

that happened during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. These conflicts brought

many people to question the role of women in our society. I agree, with Weiners essay

when she states, that both men and womens roles were developed from social and

economical changes. Families were classified by their economic class this meant if you

were white then you had money and power, and if you were black then you were a

slave. The cult of domesticity for southern women was their voice and this constant

ideology of equality between class, race, and gender. Many women in the south fought

to let their voices be heard and let everyone see how their importance is just the same

as men. Two primary sources: Sojourner Truths speech and William Harpers article

both share the same ideas of southern women fighting for equality just as Weiner

explains in her essay.

Weiners essay explains the difference between southern and northern women to

men. The difference between the north and the south was that the south was dealing

with slavery. Weiner states, The ideology of domesticity in the South was a mechanism

for defining and controlling race as well as gender differences (Weiner, p.3). Sothern

womens faced inequality simply because they were women. Due to manufacturing, and
business, many women lost their jobs, and that is when society started to classify by

economic class. This is when men were known as the ones with the hard working jobs

and women were not as powerful as men therefore they were the nurtures, and

caregivers, and maintain the home. Women were not granted any rights and were

considered less important then men. This became a conflict for many of the southern

women and they began to speak their minds in many ways to express their needs for

equality.

Sojourner Truth was a black, southern woman who was also a slave. She made

a speech that empowered other women to stand up for their rights. Men were the

superior ones, and the ones who were in control. In her speech she explains that she

isnt any different from a man. She states, I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered

into barns, and no man could head me! And a'n't I a woman? I could work as much and

eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear de lash a well! (Truth, p.1) Many

women during this time, were trying to see change by having women the same rights

and opportunities the men had. Weiner states in her essay, By extending the sphere of

their moral influence beyond the walls of their homes, they hoped to create a direct

change in the world in which they lived. Women helped each other to stay strong and

have faith to stand up for women rights.

William Harpers essay begins by him talking about the superior in men and the

easy

chastity in women. Slavery and sex is what Harper explains. He downgrades the

women in comparison to men by stating,

 She is not a less useful member of society than before. If shame be attached to

her conduct, it is such shame as would be elsewhere felt for a venial impropriety.

She has not impaired her means of support, nor materially impaired her

character, or lowered her station in society; she has done no great injury to

herself, or any other human being (Harper, p.1).

Through a mans perspective, Harper explains in his article how men only viewed

women for one thing: sex. He explains that she is basically worthless, and a slave is just

the same as a prostitute. Weiner wrote in her essay, According to many of the southern

proponents of the ideology of domesticity, differences between white men and women

were best explained by references to the natural world and to women's biological role in

childbearing (Weiner, p.3). Women were not important to men, the only thing they

were good for was reproducing.

Reciting from all three sources, women had the need for one thing and that was

the need equality. Society and economical changes is what developed changes such as

social differences. Women such as Truth kept faith, during conflicts in the 18 th and 19th

century in order to remain sane. They were very religious and turned to god when they

needed the strength and reasoning. Many women in the north and south were very

aware of gender inequalities and used their voice to express their need of change and

equality.
 Worrks Cited

"A'n't I a woman" by Sojourner Truth is cited as follows:

Elizabeth Cady Stant?../York: Fowler and Wells, 1881), 1: pp. 115-117.

Marli F. Weiner, Mistresses and Slaves: Plantation Women in South Carolina, 1830-

1880

(Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998), pp. 53-57, 61-62, 64-65, 68, 69, 70-

71. Copyright 1998 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Used

with permission of the University of Illinois Press.

William Harper, "Harper's Memoir on Slavery," in The Pro-Slavery Argument: As

Maintained by the Most Distinguished Writers of the Southern States

(Philadelphia:

Ippincott, Gerambo and Co., 1853), pp. 41, 42-45.