You had two readings this week – one was document 5 about Eulalia Perez, a woman in Spanish California in the early 19th century and document 4, about Mary Prince who was an enslaved salt raker also in the early 19th century.  These two documents demonstrate some of the types of labor that women did in the early 19th century. During this time, a woman’s “proper” role was that of wife and mother and her work was usually done within or around the home. However, we see that even though gender roles for women were very strict, some women still had to labor outside of the home for different reasons. 

The other elements to add to this are race and ethnicity. Eulalia was a woman of Spanish descent in Spanish California. Her Spanish bloodline placed her above other women in the region and even sometimes above men. As a Spanish woman, we see that she had some authority over the Native American women and men in the Mission and she was given many responsibilities. However, being a woman still meant she had limitations and expectations. 

On the other hand, Mary Prince was born into the system of slavery, and therefore she had no rights over her own body and life. She gained nothing from her labor. 

Looking back at Anne Hutchinson’s story we also see that she worked outside of the home and helped her community as a healer and midwife. 

These are just three examples of the many ways that women labored before the industrial revolution and before women stepped into wage labor in large numbers. 

PROMPT 

What do you think about women’s contributions during the periods we have covered? Was their labor necessary and who benefited from it? Did anything surprise you from these readings? 

Part 1

Post a response to the prompt above and use specific examples from the reading. Once you have posted your initial response you will be able to view your classmate’s responses. Your initial post is due by Thursday at 11:59 pm. 

Part 2

Respond to at least two of your classmate’s posts. This part is due by Sunday at 11:59 pm. 

**GUIDANCE**

Treat these asynchronous discussions as you would treat an in-person discussion with your classmates. The purpose of these discussions, is to use critical thinking and to exchange ideas with your classmates. You should reference this week’s material and give specific detail in a way that fosters a productive discussion. This is also a good opportunity to ask your classmates questions regarding things you didn’t fully understand. It’s also a good opportunity to help your classmates if you understood something that they did not. You should not treat this as an essay and please use your own words and ideas on the material rather than simply restating the content. Your peers read the same text as you, so it’s not effective to give a full summary of the reading in your initial post. 

Women’s contributions during this period appear to have been borne out of necessity. There were also differences in terms of what can be offered and delivered by a woman, in terms of service, depending on their ethnicity and class standing. This determined whether or not their work would be valued. This became a determining factor if they were going to be respected for their contributions.