Script a conversation between two notable women from the 18th and/or 19th century on the roles women should play in society.
1. Biographical information for each woman
Betsy Ross was born Elizabeth Griscom to Samuel Griscom and the former Rebecca James in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1752, the eighth of seventeen children. She grew up in a household where the plain dress and strict discipline of the Society of Friends dominated her life. She learned to sew from her great-aunt Sarah Elizabeth Ann Griscom. Her great-grandfather Andrew Griscom, a Quaker carpenter, emigrated in 1680 from England (www.biography.com). Like her sisters, she attended Quaker schools and learned sewing and other crafts common in her day. After Betsy completed her schooling, her father apprenticed her to a local upholsterer, where at age 17 she met John Ross, an Anglican. The two young apprentices quickly fell for one another, but Betsy was a Quaker, and the act of marrying outside of one's religion was strictly off-limits. To the shock of their families, Betsy and John married in 1772, and she was promptly expelled from both her family and the Friends meeting house in Philadelphia that served as a place of worship for Quakers. Eventually, the couple opened their own upholstery business, drawing on Betsy's deft needlework skills. Betsy Ross is best known for making the first American flag. Betsy died on January 30, 1836, at the age of 84.
Susan B. Anthony was born February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. She was brought up in a Quaker family with long activist traditions. Early in her life she developed a sense of justice and moral zeal.
After teaching for fifteen years, she became active in temperance. Because she was a woman, she was not allowed to speak at temperance rallies. This experience, and her acquaintance with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, led her to join the women's rights movement in 1852. Soon after, she dedicated her life to woman suffrage.
Ignoring opposition and abuse, Anthony traveled, lectured, and canvassed across the nation for the vote. She also campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property and retain their earnings, and she advocated for women's labor organizations. In 1900, Anthony persuaded the University of Rochester to admit women.
Anthony, who never married, was aggressive and compassionate by nature. She had a keen mind and a great ability to inspire. She remained active until her death on March 13, 1906 (www.susanbanthonyhouse.org).
2. The historical status for women in general during the time period in which each woman lived.
During the eighteenth century, married women’s lives revolved to a large extent around managing the household, a role which in many cases included partnership in running farms or home businesses. While the essential role of most women continued to be managing all aspects of their households, doing so took on political overtones: the commitment of the women was critical to maintaining the tea boycott and the decision to boycott British goods caused home manufacturing to become both a statement of defiance and a necessity. Even those women whose social standing afforded increased leisure took up spinning and other activities to replace imported goods. War, when it came, touched everyone: resources were scarce leading to high inflation; invading troops destroyed farms and homes; and the absence of husbands and fathers left some in danger of starvation. Some women were able to continue to manage homes, farms and shops but others were unable to survive on their own and forced to abandon their homes and follow their husbands with the army. Women who traveled with the army were known as camp followers and did so for many reasons: inability to provide for themselves at home; fear of attack; eviction by troops; desire to be with husbands; the attraction of a paying job and rations (even if their pay and rations were minimal), or in some cases as sutlers selling to the army. Well over 20,000 women followed one army or another and transformed camps into small towns (www.womeninamericanhistory.com).
The expectations of women in the early 19th century were shifting; their status within a patriarchal society remained the same. Politically, they were powerless. Job opportunities were severely limited. Because of the social expectations that tied female dependence on men, single women and widows were the most vulnerable. Even upper middle class women were doomed to conform to patterns of daily life that were dictated by their husbands (www.womenshistory.com).
3. What opinions each of the women might have on the role the women should play in society during their lifetimes.
Betsy Ross opinions on the roles women should play in society during her lifetime would be a woman should be able to marry whomever she wanted despite whatever religious background the man came from. I believe that Betsy Ross married for love and not by force of religious preference.
Susan B. Anthony opinions on the roles women should play during her lifetime would be to stand up for what you believe not matter what the consequences bring. She was arrested in 1872 for casting a vote in the presidential election. During this time women were not allowed to vote and she thought that women should have equal voting rights as a man.
4. What each of the women might think about women’s current roles.
I think that both Betsy Ross and Susan B. Anthony would be very pleased and proud of the fact that women have come a long way since the 18th and 19th century women of their time. Both would also agree that women still have a long way to go to achieve even greater accomplishments.
In Conclusion, both Betsy Ross (of the 18th century) and Susan B. Anthony (of the 19th century) endured some similar situations as far as establishing women’s place in society. During both the 18th and 19th century women were the homemakers and the caregiver to their husbands and children. Women during those periods were not looked as a working woman. The working woman did not really come to play until the mid to late 19th century. Since the 18th and 19th century women have definitely made and achieved some major accomplishments, but yet women still have a ways to go. REFERENCES www.biography.com www.susanbanthonyhouse.org www.womeninamericanhistory.com www.womeninhistory.com