Gender Ways in Massachusetts and Virginia
Comparing and Contrasting Gender Equality of the Two Societies
Oct 30, 2008
In Massachusetts, as in Virginia, women were allowed to keep property under their own name. But the Puritans encouraged their women to be independent in this area, whereas the Virginian men had control over their wives’ estate once married, and fathers or brothers had control before marriage.
Marriages in Massachusetts and Virginia
Though the Virginians had the façade of happy marriages, and outwardly promoted marital bliss and domestic peace, they had an intense amount of domestic dissatisfaction. This was due to gender inequality and conflicts spanning from money to sex. The women in Virginia were taught to obey the man, and were tamed by their rigid social customs; however it was an unwritten convention for a woman to demand her freedom and respect. With this contradiction in customs, quarrels often happened for petty reasons, ending with the woman submitting and begging forgiveness after a period of calming down.
In contrast, in Massachusetts, men were required to treat women with decency and respect. Even though the Puritans did not see the genders as equals, in most instances, they were. Women could join the church and were not barred from Heaven, but they were restricted from preaching to men and gaining Minister status. As in Virginia, the Puritans saw the man as the highest authority in the family; nevertheless, it was highly recommended in New England that decisions of the family be made jointly between husband and wife. Even business ventures were conducted this way in Massachusetts. Couples in New England worked mutually on their relationships, whereas in Virginia neither gender seemed to work to better their relationship.
The Working Woman in Massachusetts and Virginia
The women of Massachusetts were required to work just as hard as their men, regardless of wealth and status. Only the men had exemption from this, and only if they were Ministers, Elders, or elected town officials of high standing. This was not the case in Virginia, where a woman was required to be feminine if wealthy and work hard if from a lower class.
Abuse in Massachusetts and Virginia
In both societies, abuse of any kind was highly discouraged, if not prohibited. But both physical and verbal abuses were fairly common in Virginia, and not only by the husband to the wife, but often vice-versa. However, the husband was encouraged to exercise his authority and moderately chastise his wife. In New England, a husband could demand anything of his wife, as long as it did not go against God’s law. They did not have this custom in Virginia.
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