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Women In Colonial America

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Prior to the conflict between the American colonists and the English throne, the American colonies experienced many changes that reformed their way of life from the time they first set foot in the New World. After being discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, colonists began to cross the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of riches, religious freedom, and many other reasons. The average age of the colonists was seventeen before the revolution. A seventeen year old is very rebellious, and when the British throne mistreated them, they stood up to fight. However, before the revolution, colonial society was different before the revolution. The different aspects of the colonial society included: mercantilism and the Navigation Acts, women in colonial …show more content…
However, some women made history by writing poetry before the revolution. Two examples are Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley. First, Anne Bradstreet was the first American poet to be noticed, and the first to publish in colonial America. Second, Phillis Wheatley was the first published African American poet, and helped shape African American literature. However, most women in colonial America did not write like Bradstreet and Wheatley. Instead, many women were treated very unfriendly and did not have equal rights to men. When a woman married, she took her husband’s name, lost control of her property, and had no life apart from her husband. The only way a woman could own property was if she was single or a widow. On the other hand, Bradstreet and Wheatley helped to equalize the rights between men and …show more content…
Republicanism is the belief that government should be based on the consent of the governed. This type of government consisted of several different aspects. First, sovereignty comes from the people. This means the people elect representatives for their government, and it is based on population. For example, in the House of Representatives, the people of the United States elect representatives. Each state elects a different number of representatives because each state has a different population. Second, the government is a small, limited government that is responsible to the people. Last, widespread ownership of property is the bulwark of republican government. This type of government was much more desired than a monarchy, which was Britian. Republicanism influenced the founding fathers and is one of the most important political beliefs to the United

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