Women in Colonial North America

 The status of women in colonial North America has been well studied and

 described and can be briefly summarized. Throughout the colonial period

 there was a marked shortage of women, which varied with the regions and was

 always greatest in the frontier areas. This favorable ratio enhanced

women's status and position and allowed them to pursue different careers.

 The Puritans, the religious sect that dominated the early british colonies

 in North America, regarded idleness as a sin, and believed that life in an

 underdeveloped country made it absolutely necessary that each member of the

 community perform an  economic function. Thus work for women, married or

 single, was not only  approved,  it was regarded as a civic  duty. Puritan 

 town councils  expected widows  and  unattached  women  to  be  self      

 supporting  and  for  a  long  time  provided  needy spinsters with parcels

 of land. There was no social sanction against married women working; on the

 contrary, wives were expected to help their husbands in their trade and won

 social approval for doing extra work in or out of the home. Needy children,

 girls as well as boys, were indentured or apprenticed and were expected to

 work for their keep. The vast majority of women worked within their homes,

 where their labor produced most articles needed for the family. The entire

 colonial production of cloth and clothing and partially that of shoes was

 in the hands of women. In addition to these  occupations, women were found

 in many different kinds of employment.  They were butchers,  silversmiths, 

 gunsmiths  and   upholsterers.  They  ran  mills,  plantations,  tanyards,

 shipyards, and every kind of shop, tavern, and boardinghouse. They were

 gatekeepers, jail keepers, sextons, journalists, printers, apothecaries,

midwives, nurses, and teachers.

北美殖民時期的婦女

北美殖民時期女性的社會地位曾得到過深入研究和描述，并可簡短 概括。

 整個殖民時期，女性人數明顯不足，各地情況不盡相同，在邊遠地區尤其缺少。  這 種對女性有利的比例提高了她們的社會地位和職位，使她們能追求不同的事業。

 清教徒是 早期英屬殖民地的宗教主流。  它視懶惰為犯罪，認為在不發達農村社區的每一個成員都必 須發揮經濟作用。

 所以已婚或單身女性工作不僅是許可的，而且被認為是公民的義務。 清 教徒的鎮議會認為寡婦和未婚女性也應該自食其力，而且在相當長一段時期里，向貧困的老

 而未婚的女子提供土地。  社會不反對已婚婦女工作；相反，要求她們幫助丈夫從事他們的 行當。 在家庭內外做額外勞動的妻子們會得到社會的贊同。

 貧困的兒童，女孩和男孩一樣， 也要簽師徒契約做學徒，想保住這個生計就要工作。  絕大多數女性在家庭里勞動，生產大 部分家用必需品。

 殖民時期全部的布料和衣服以及一部分的鞋都出自女性的雙手。 除了從 事這些職業，婦女也從事許多不同類型的職業，如做屠夫、鐵匠、軍械工和家俱修理工。 她

 們經營手工作坊、種植園、制革場、造船廠和各類商店、小旅館和供膳寄宿處。  她們當守 門人或獄卒，教堂司事、記者、印刷工、藥劑師、助產士、護士和教師。

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2012.7.6