Single Women of the Antebellum Era

     

Single Women of the Antebellum Era

The historical road of the single woman has gone from a narrow path to a wide open road. They can set independent life goals and make them realities before ever considering becoming committed to a man if they choose. However, a single woman of the Antebellum era was not as fortunate with the same options of today, but none the less, they had strong desires and ambitions to be become more than just a so-called “Spinster”

In early years of the 1800’s, being single was not considered to be a suitable lifestyle. A female was to be married - without exception. Most families, spent time and effort grooming their girls for marriage. In these times some marriages were arranged even from birth. If not, a girl spent most of her teen, adolescent years being prepped for courting in order to successfully find a suitable husband.

A British woman was groomed to be a “perfect woman” No hair out of place. She was expected to be able to sing, play an instrument and be able to speak a foreign language. She was to have the personality of a virtuous, innocent, biddable and dutiful woman.

In these days, it was nearly impossible for a woman to find work outside of the home so finding a husband was thought to be her only means of survival and it was her job to bear children so that the family estate and any possessions could be passed down and carried on.

It was not until late in the 1800’s that the single woman decided to push for her independence for equal education just as men were already attaining. At this time, women tried to create a feminist controversy, fighting for their equal social status to be the same as men. Once woman prevailed in their fight, many educators and clergymen agreed that there might be more importance to women’s education, than for men. At this time, women began enrolling into colleges and getting degrees, even becoming doctors and high professionals. Having these opportunities, women now had the choice to either stay unmarried and make a life for themselves and not just be a housekeeper and child bearer.

 If college was not her choice, most single, unmarried women sought employment at a local textile mill. If mills were not accessible around their hometown, many worked as school teachers or seamstresses. Though these jobs were usually not paid very well, at least it still provided them with some independence. Any earnings made were usually given to the family household in which they were living at the time. Due to these low wages, most were forced to live with family members.

Marriage was a way of life of the women of the 1800’s. If a woman married and became unhappy, if was not optional for desolation of marriage, in other words, divorce. Under no grounds was this permitted for a woman, however, men could choose to divorce. Only by death could the woman become single again. If a woman had the financial means to be self-supporting or draw upon the labor of her children she could remain single and this was now socially acceptable.

 Single women of the twenty-first century and those of the 1800’s are obviously centuries apart. Today, it is socially acceptable and greatly admired for a woman to be independent, well educated and very successful. Women today strive to be all that is possible with proof certainty that a single woman truly is an equal and none less.

Sources:
1. Volo, James M., and Dorothy Denneen Volo. The Antebellum Period. Westport, CT: Greenwood,

2. "Antebellum Women of NC| NCpedia. "NCpedia Home Page | NCpedia. Web. 08 Oct. 2010.
http://ncpedia.org/history/1776-1860/antebellum-women.

3. Readers Companion to U.S. Women's History - - Single Women." Redirection to Equivalent @ Cengage. Web. 08 Oct. 2010.
http://www.bibliobase.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_034300_singlewomen.htm>.

4. "The Female Seminary Movement and Women's Mission In Antebellum America - Research and Read Books, Journals, Articals at Questia Online Library. " Questia Online Library. Web. 08 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=95150400

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