family and role of women in london in 18th century?
Answers
Family Life
The family lives of people were separated by two distinctions: roles for men versus roles for women, and social class. In general, men were the breadwinners, providing income for the family, whereas the mothers were in charge of the household. This role grew more prominent with more wealth, as with that came more estate to manage. Marriage was also very closely tied to social class; women were seldom married into lower social rungs. It also came with heavy social implications for the family’s legacy and reputation among their peers.
Women had to take on various roles in the household during the 17th and 18th centuries. They were responsible for running the household, and for more affluent families, managing the servants. Women, or mothers, were also responsible for raising and educating their children. In addition, they were responsible for cooking and feeding the family. This required women to be well-educated in medicinal and culinary uses of herbs and plants, needlework, reading, and writing. In general, women had very few rights and experienced oppression at the hands of the patriarchy.SOURCE? Housework was particularly taxing due to the lack of modern cleaning methods. Women were expected to tend the garden, cook for the family, take care of the children, and see that their husbands’ needs were met. The mother of the household would often have many children because not many children were able to survive early childhood.