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Women’s experiences in Britain and the colonies differed because of their involvement in society as well as their roles. Unlike in the colonies, British women had the freedom to navigate the market and contributed to the economy (Norton, 601). They worked for their own wages and even lived independently from their husbands. In England, women had greater control of their personal lives and were active in supporting their country’s economic state. They did not have to wholly submit to a patriarch-led household and could make a living for themselves with little interference. In the colonies, it was a different story for women. Since women migrated to more spread out territories, they did not have the same opportunities as their British counterparts. The majority of women often depended on their husbands for income (Norton, 601). Men had more dominance, and society determined how women should act in the household. Instead of being independent figures in colonial households, women were expected to submit to their husbands and be a moral example to their families. The “cult of domesticity” that emerged in the 1700s limited women’s roles to their residences, and it purely focused on how they could support their husbands and children (Norton, 618). Across the Atlantic, women’s roles were either restricted or expanded depending on their location. What can be said is women contributed to the growth of their societies, and they set an example for how women could impact their environment despite their place.
Mary Beth Norton’s article reminded me of Chapter 5 in the class textbook where it discussed migration. Many families immigrated to the colonies in search for employment or to start new lives (Egerton et al. 178). However, women were exchanging their rights in the process of settling in a new land. They had to adapt to new structures in colonial society and sometimes did not have the same freedoms they had in their homeland. I agree with Kyle Kelsay on his point about women having freedom when it came to religious matters in the home. Women helped their children grow spiritually and taught them biblical values. Even though women were unable to obtain leadership positions in the church, they had opportunities to educate their families about the teachings of Christianity.