Bridging the Past

"Learning the lessons of the past allows you to walk boldly in the light without running the risk of stumbling in the darkness." - M. Russell Ballard

We had a nice Relief Society meeting at Sheryl's home a week ago Thursday evening (sorry for being slow with my notes!). Lori Lyn Price, a member of the Arlington Ward Relief Society, and freelance genealogy speaker, shared her findings on several Colonial women whose stories provide us with a better understanding of what life was like for them and women in general back then.

We began with a True/False quiz! Allison and Lisle tied for high scores of 13... How you would have done?

1. Newly married brides had equal say with their husbands about which business should be the family business.

2. A woman was expected to carry on the family business after her husband's death.

3. Women were free to start their own business.

4. A girl's attire was very similar to the clothing her mother wore.

5. There was a distinct division of labor between men and women on farms.

6. Colonial New Englanders married early - in their teens.

7. Divorce was not recognized or legal in colonial New England.

8. Ownership of a woman's property was legally transferred to her husband upon marriage.

9. A husband was expected to consult with his wife when making decisions regarding finances and property.

10. It was legal in colonial New England for a husband to hit his wife.

11. Sex between a married woman and a man (single or married) was considered adultery and was a capital offense.

12. Sex between an unmarried woman and a man (single or married) was considered adultery and was a capital offense.

13. People immigrating to New England tended to arrive in family groups rather than as single men and women.

14. There was a high rate of illiteracy among women.

15. A woman's domain was the family dwelling and yard surrounding it.

16. Single males outnumbered single females 4 to 1.

17. Women bore about 8 children on average.

18. Women were not allowed to speak publicly.

ANSWERS...

1. F, 2. T, 3. F, 4. T, 5. F, 6. False (early 20's), 7. F, 8. T, 9. F, 10. F, 11. T, 12. F, 13. T, 14. F, 15. T, 16. T, 17. T, 18. T

The answers to the quiz, and text that Lori Lynn referred to can be found in the following books, all of which are suggested reading on the topic of Colonial Women in New England.

Good Wives, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Fissures in the Rock, by Richard Archer

Daily Life in Colonial New England, by Claudia Durst Johnson

American Jezebel, by Eve La Plante

The Muse of the Revolution, by Nancy Rubin Stuart

Lori Lyn profiled 5 fascinating women from Colonial times. By clicking on each women's name, you can get their brief history offered at Wikipedia...

Writer and poet, Anne Bradstreet. Anne was the first woman in Colonial New England to have her work published.

Upon the Burning of our House, July 10, 1666

And when I could no longer look,

I blest his grace that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.

It was his own; it was not mine.

Far be it that I should repine.

Slave & poet, Phyllis Wheatley. Phyllis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book.

"Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand

That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.

Some view our sable race with scornful eye,

'Their colour is a diabolic dye.'

Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,

May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train."

A statue of Phyllis Wheatley is located on Commonwealth Ave. in Boston.

Heroine, Hannah Duston. After being kidnapped 6 days postpardum by a band of Indians who killed her newborn, Hannah escaped, along with her nurse and a young boy, by scalping the Indian captures in their sleep, and then following the Merrimack River south from Boscawen, New Hampshire back to her home in Haverhill, MA. She was rewarded for her bravery.

statue located in Haverhill, MA

"The muse of the revolution," Mercy Otis Warren. Mercy was America's first female playwright. She also was the first woman to create a Jeffersonian, or anti-Federalist, interpretation of the Revolution, titled, "The History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution." She was the first woman to publish her writings with professional intent, rather than for family, friends, and/or personal hobby. She was a strong advocate for freedom of speech, freedom of press, trial by jury, and checks and balances of the executive and legislative branches of government; all of which would come to be part of our nation's Bill of Rights.

She wrote, "Our situation is truly delicate & critical. On the one hand we are in need of a strong federal government founded on principles that will support the prosperity & union of the colonies. on the other we have struggled for liberty & made costly sacrifices at her shrine and there are still many among us who revere her name to much to relinquish (beyond a certain medium) the rights of man for the dignity of government."

Statue of Mercy Otis Warren at the Barnstable County Courthouse

Midwife & theologian, Anne Hutchinson. In 1638 Anne was tried in civil court for "traducing the ministers," and in her own defense she stated,

"...you have no power over my body, neither can you do me any harme, for I am in the hands of the eternall Jehovah my Saviour, I am at his appointment, the bounds of my habitation are cast in heaven, no further doe I esteeme of any mortal man than creatures in his hand, I feare none but the great Jehovah, which hath foretold me of these things, and I doe verily beleeve that he will deliver me out of our hands, therefore take heed how you proceed against me; for I know that for this you goe about to doe to me, God will ruine you and your posterity, and this whole state."

statue located in front of the Boston State House

After discussing these colonial women, we noted a few points of common ground they all shared...these women were brave, well-educated (their fathers were very involved and supportive), and they were supported by their husbands. We discussed OUR common ground with these women. We noted the importance of partnership in marriage, and how important it is for our children to feel support and guidance in their goals from both parents.

I marvel at how far we have come as women- from having a limited, controlled voice, and a narrow role in life to today; where we can speak freely, vote, govern, compete, debate, and the list goes on...

True, our greatest, most influential work will be as a mother in our home, but the choices we have as to what we do with our lives has never been greater. Our choices for creative outlets have never been greater. Our opportunities have never been greater.

My final thought ties in with the temple. As we go to the temple and notice that we in fact are serving a woman who lived in colonial New England, perhaps we can feel a greater bond after taking the time to learn what their environment and circumstances were like. We can honor them sister-to-sister by the significant act of taking their individual name through the temple and offering eternal, exalting choices.

Thank you, again to Lori Lynn for sharing your knowledge and thoughts with us pertaining to women in Colonial New England. It was an education!

Lori Lynn has started a freelance business offering lectures on genealogy. Her website is http://bridgingthepast.com.