WOMAN'S LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS

CONTENTS


CHAPTER I--COLONIAL WOMAN AND RELIGION

I. The Spirit of Woman--The Suffering of Women--The Era of
Adventure--Privation and Death in the First Colonial
Days--Descriptions by Prince, Bradford, Johnson, etc.--Early
Concord.

II. Woman and Her Religion--Its Unyielding Quality--Its
Repressive Effect on Woman--Wigglesworth's _Day of Doom_--What
It Taught Woman--Necessity of Early Baptism--Edward's _Eternity of
Hell Torment_--_Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God_--Effect
on Womanhood--Personal Devils--Dangers of Earthly Love--God's
Sudden Punishments.

III. Inherited Nervousness--Fears in Childhood--Theological Precocity.

IV. Woman's Day of Rest--Sabbath Rules and Customs--A Typical Sabbath.

V. Religion and Woman's Foibles--Religious Regulations--Effect on
Dress--Women's Singing in Church--Southern Opinion of Northern
Severity--Effect of Feminine Repression.

VI. Woman's Comfort in Religion--An Intolerant Era--Religious
Gatherings for Women--Formal Meetings with Mrs. Hutchinson--Causes
of Complaint--Meetings of Quaker Women.

VII. Female Rebellion--The Antinomians--Activities of Anne
Hutchinson--Her Doctrines--Her Banishment--Emotional Starvation--Dread
of Heresy--Anne Hutchinson's Death.

VIII. Woman and Witchcraft--Universal Belief in Witchcraft--Signs
of Witchcraft--Causes of the Belief--Lack of Recreation--Origin
of Witchcraft Mania--Echoes from the Trials--Waning of the Mania.

IX. Religion Outside of New England--First Church in Virginia--Southern
Strictness--Woman's Religious Testimony--Religious Sanity--The
Dutch Church--General Conclusions.


CHAPTER II--COLONIAL WOMAN AND EDUCATION

I. Feminine Ignorance--Reasons--The Evidence in Court Records--Dame's
Schools--School Curriculum--Training in Home Duties.

II. Woman's Education in the South--Jefferson's Advice--Private
Tutors--General Interest in Education--Provision in Wills.

III. Brilliant Exceptions to Female Ignorance--Southern and
Northern Women Contrasted--Unusual Studies for Women--Eliza
Pinckney--Jane Turell--Abigail Adams.

IV. Practical Education--Abigail Adams' Opinion--Importance of
Bookkeeping--Franklin's Advice.

V. Educational Frills--Female Seminaries--Moravian
Schools--Dancing--Etiquette--Rules for Eating--Mechanical Arts
Toward Uprightness--Complaints of Educational Poverty--Fancy
Sewing--General Conclusions.


CHAPTER III--COLONIAL WOMAN AND THE HOME

I. Charm of the Colonial Home--Lack of Counter Attractions--Neither
Saints nor Sinners in the Home.

II. Domestic Love and Confidence--The Winthrop Love Letters--Edwards'
Rhapsody--Further Examples--Descriptions of Home Life--Mrs.
Washington and Mrs. Hamilton at Home.

III. Domestic Toil and Strain--South _vs._ North--Lack of
Conveniences--Silver and Linen--Colonial Cooking--Cooking
Utensils--Specimen Meals--Home Manufactures.

IV. Domestic Pride--Effect of Anti-British Sentiment--Spinning
Circles--Dress-Making.

V. Special Domestic Tasks--Supplying Necessities--Candles--Soap--Herbs
--Neighborly Co-operation--Social "Bees."

VI. The Size of the Family--Large Families an Asset--Astonishing
Examples--Infant Death-Rate--Children as Workers.

VII. Indian Attacks--Suffering of Captive Women--Mary Rowlandson's
Account--Returning the Kidnapped.

VIII. Parental Training--Co-operation Between Parents--Cotton Mather
as Disciplinarian--Sewall's Methods--Eliza Pinckney's
Motherliness--New York Mothers--Abigail Adams to Her Son.

IX. Tributes to Colonial Mothers--Judge Sewall's Noble Words--Other
Specimens of Praise--John Lawson's Views--Woman's Strengthening
Influence.

X. Interest in the Home--Franklin's Interest--Evidence from
Jefferson--Sewall's Affection--Washington's Relaxation--John Adams
with the Children--Examples of Considerateness--Mention of Gifts.

XI. Woman's Sphere--Opposition to Broader Activities--A Sad
Example--Opinions of Colonial Leaders--Woman's Contentment with Her
Sphere--Woman's Helpfulness--Distress of Mrs. Benedict Arnold.

XII. Women in Business--Husbands' Confidence in Wives'
Shrewdness--Evidence from Franklin--Abigail Adams as Manager--General
Conclusions.


CHAPTER IV--COLONIAL WOMAN AND DRESS

I. Dress Regulation by Law--Magistrate _vs._ Women--Fines.

II. Contemporary Descriptions of Dress--Effect of Wealth and
Travel-