Primary+Sources

There are some reasons why American women should feel an interest in the support of the democratic institutions of their Country, which it is important that they should consider. The great maxim, which is the basis of all our civil and political institutions, is, that "all men are created equal," and that they are equally entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."But it can readily be seen, that this is only another mode of expressing the fundamental principle which the Great Ruler of the Universe has established, as the law of his eternal government. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;" and "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." …The principles of democracy, then, are identical with the principles of Christianity…The tendencies of democratic institutions, in reference to the rights and interests of the female sex, have been fully developed in the United States; and it is in this aspect, that the subject is one of peculiar interest to American women. In this Country, it is established, both by opinion and by practice, that woman has an equal interest in all social and civil concerns; and that no domestic, civil, or political, institution, is right, which sacrifices her interest to promote that of the other sex. But in order to secure her the more firmly in all these privileges, it is decided, that, in the domestic relation, she take a subordinate station, and that, in civil and political concerns, her interests be intrusted to the other sex, without her taking any part in voting, or in making and administering laws… "There are people in Europe, who, confounding together the different characteristics of the sexes, would make of man and woman, beings not only equal, but alike. They would give to both the same functions, impose on both the same duties, and grant to both the same rights…preposterous a medley of the works of Nature, nothing could ever result, but weak men and, disorderly women."It is not thus that the Americans understand the species of democratic equality, which may be established between the sexes. They admit, that, as Nature has appointed such wide: differences between the physical and moral constitutions of man and woman, her manifest design was, to give a distinct employment to their various faculties… The Americans have, applied to the sexes the great principle of political economy, which governs the manufactories of our age by carefully dividing the duties of man from those of woman, in order that the great work of society may be the better carried on. Source: The Treatise on Domestic Economy: http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/sentimnt/snescebhp.html
 * Primary Source 1:**

This document is a passage from a book written by Catharine Beecher in 1841, called //The Treatise on Domestic Economy.// It is a justification of women’s lower place in society, below men in relation to the cult of domesticity. This part of the book is from the first chapter and highlights on all of the different ideas of the cult of domesticity. When Beecher talks about the relationships between family members we see the idea of filial piety, and we see the idea of religious piety with the emphasis on religion at the beginning. Also, the idea of domesticity is made clear when Beecher talks about women’s role in society. This shows how the cult of domesticity did not try to enforce this idea of women in a demeaning way, but rather tried to justify and make everyone feel as if this was their right. By tying it into religion, we see how that is used as a justification for the cult of domesticity. This change in the outlook of ideology shows how the market revolution changed society, because we see the reference to its importance to the political economy, and how this was part of the cult of domesticity. Women were no longer wanted to be as passive, but we see that the passivity was continued in the market revolution, but was now seen in a less demeaning way because Beecher shows women’s roles as being a birth right and being justified by religion. The emphasis on freedom and equality shows how as America changed during the market revolution; they still wanted to instill this idea of freedom from early on, but at the same time wanted to change the construction of freedom. The way that Beecher talks about the differences between America and European countries shows a change in constructions of freedom because it seems to be that Americans feel more confident so to speak, they are now separate and have their own ideas about freedom constructions. But it also seems to be that the main reason for this change, the cult of domesticity, was to benefit the economy, giving men the role of bringing home the bacon.