Republican Motherhood Blog

Republican Motherhood:

1.  The Revolutionary War brought about a period of great pride in the American people.  This led them to start to worry about later generations as shown in Document A.  Americans needed to be sure that this sense of pride in America was passed on to later generations.  This task was left to the American women and without the Revolutionary sense of patriotism women may have never gained this important duty.

2.  The Republican Motherhood led to a lot more pressure and responsibility for women in the US.  In document A it is made clear that a woman's domestic duties come before everything else.  A woman's only duty in life is to raise and enlighten children to become patriotic Americans.  According to Document B they were also now expected to have a certain degree of education to qualify them to raise good American citizens.  To be looked at as qualified to be an American women they had to have a knowledge of language, geography, figures, bookkeeping and good handwriting. Women were not used to having to be so educated so this was an important change.  To make it even more intimidating, in Document D Jonathan Stearns explains that the destiny of the nation depends on the women.

3.  Republican Motherhood helped to socialize women first by educating them more than ever before.  Due to their new level of knowledge they were looked at differently in society, in a better light. Men were more comfortable talking to them about important issues.  In Document D it actually states that a woman's power is not contained in the house.  In the document it is brought up that women also have complete control over society and social life.

 

 



1.  The setting in this portrait is very neutral and looks like it may be furniture from a living room.  Although it looks somewhat like a home it also looks as if the woman has become important and has moved on from the home.

 

2.  The woman is in the center of the portrait because she is the head of the household and she has control of the family.  The woman looks important and also not overly made up.  She is showing a more natural and everyday look.  This also makes her look less aristocratic, she has little make up and is wear a fairly average dress.  

 

3.  Her sons show a love for brotherhood, especially the boy on the left.  The boy on the left also shows a respect for living things and they both show poise.

 

4.  Yes, her arm looks almost as if it is protecting the boys which represents her position of importance in their lives and education.