Group D
Taylor Dewater, Alec H. Garren, TJ Goss, Matt Ligman, Anna M. Limbaugh
First Generations
First Generations, Women in Colonial America, Carol Berkin, not only describes the
hardships of seventeenth and eighteenth century female European immigrants, but also the
hardships of Native American and African women. The land was wild and dangers were
unknown for these immigrants, indentured servants and slaves. Even the Native Americans, who
had an understanding of the land, still would aim for survival on a day to day basis. Berkin, both
fully and effectively, describes how easily lives were ruined by disease, poor tobacco crops,
death, the decisions to become married or remain single, as well as, the difficulty of life for a
woman the changing role in Colonial America. From reading this book, one is able to understand
why survival was key in the colonies; other families taking in orphaned children, both male and
females marrying others, as well as, women having 10 to 12 children in a lifetime. Survival was
essential.
Carol Berkin brings us to an interesting point when she gets into chapters two and three. In the
second chapter, labeled "Goodwives and Bad", Berkin brings to reality that many of the politics,
religious beliefs and societal status's had been left in Europe but the belief of the sex roles still
remained in this tough, new world. Good wives in New England were expected to stay at home,
cook, clean and make babies. A woman that wasn't just seen, but also heard would become
known as a trouble maker in the man's world and could be punished. Troubles didn't stop at the
edge of these communities though as Berkin brings us to her third chapter about Native
American women and the life that they lived. The struggles for the native woman, although also
for survival, were not the same as the immigrants but more so because of them.
According to Berkin, native woman seemed to be more agricultural figures with the men being
the hunters. Native woman had a voice in their communities and in some instances also
controlled the food stores and supplies. Berkin gives us a few stories about woman in the
colonial times but then gives us these over sweeping statements that every woman during this
time must have lived this way.
"Babel of Confusion." The women of the middle colonies were of many different cultures and
lifestyles. The chapter describes various traditions that Dutch and English were accustom too..
Women were able to be entrepreneurs and control family businesses with their spouse. Once the
English took over, a male centralized society came. Your spouse was looked to as a mate, rather
than a partner. As Dutch women were once able to use their inheritance to buy and sell goods as
they please; were now subject to half of their inheritance with restrictions on how they could
implement their property. By 1730 Anglicanism was taking over, and the emphasis that women
need to be mobilized to religion was ever growing. Rather than have a part in the business
aspects of their family; women were to have gatherings, where they could accentuate disciplines
of their faith.
In the 17th century when African Americans were coming to the colonies of North America;
there was a large difference in the ideology of their stance in the society. Many were brought
over to become indentured servants. While both the Northern and Southern colonies had slaves,
they had two very different lifestyles. In the Northern cities African American men worked in
artisan shops and at the docks. The women stayed home and did the domesticated choirs.
Servants slept in the Garret or kitchen with the owners of the house. While in the South women
servants worked in the gardens, raised poultry and milked cows. The men worked in the fields
plowing and pounding grain. The servants lived in sheds outside the home, and where sometimes
there was only a single gender of servant on the entire plantation. The further the colonies
became established in the south, the stricter the laws became for Blacks.
The chapters concerning The Rise of Gentility and Women's Roles in the Revolutionary War
(Chapters 6 & 7 respectively) give us a glimpse of the ways women dealt with cultural issues at
this time. We are introduced to the women Eliza Lucas Pinckney and Grace Growden, both of
whom grew up in the colonies and had to fend for themselves and their families. During these
two chapters the author really shows what Eliza had to go through after her mother died and
what she did to overcome the frustrations she faced.. Grace had to deal with the loss that came
when her husband fled to New York with their daughter during the Revolutionary War and in
doing so, he left Grace behind. Berkin lays out how the life of these two women had different
aspirations and goals in life and yet was still able to accomplish them. With vibrant details about
these two women's lives, we as readers are able to see that society did look down on them
because they were women but thanks to their drive, the women succeeded in their goals. In First
Generations, Berkin lays out how life rough life was for the majority of women but she also
showed tiny glimmers of hope in their lives.
Carol Berikin's First Generations: Women In Colonial America ends as well as it starts, offering
a description an perspective of women's roles in the new republic. Women were still in
precarious position in terms of politics and economics, but women now had the opportunity to
get an education. A necessary practice for them to establish themselves as equals in law and
practice. Berkin's descriptions throughout the text are well supported and this is no exception
here, offering quotes from prominent figures of the time period as well as an in-depth
Bibliographical Essay for further explanation. In our opinion this is a useful and easy to read
text.