Life as a woman in the colonial (殖民的) America seems quite different from it is today. Women were considered inferior to men, a fact
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in tradition, law, and religion. Their place was in the home,
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they were to serve as devoted wives and mothers. They were therefore considered unfit to operate
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political beings and unable to
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the benefits of citizenship given to men. Very few women
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a college education, secured a well-paid job, or pursued a fruitful career. Other than marrying well, they could do
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to improve their economic status.
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their secondary status, women
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play a central role in developing, civilizing, and advancing the nation long before the United States gained its independence
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Great Britain. During the colonial period, they made great contributions to family and community. They worked alongside their husbands
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family survival demanded that chores (杂事) be shared by all. Women helped to sow, plant, and harvest crops. They
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pigs and chickens, planted gardens and milked cows. This need for shared male and female labor
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a constant theme (主题) as families moved to the frontier, where all family members having to work
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essential.
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scholars still debate the nature of white women"s standing during the colonial period, many of them admit that colonial women
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some standing in their families and communities
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their contributions were so essential. A woman might
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chores in the home but also assist her husband in
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a newspaper or a store. But this cooperative (合作的 ) approach did not translate into
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rights for women; instead, it
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the realities and uncertainties of colonial life.