Puritan Women: Work and Religion

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the role of Puritan women in their homes and the larger community. The writer details the responsibilities of a Puritan woman, describing her household and child-rearing tasks as well as her charitable works. A brief description of their religious outlook and witchcraft is also presented. The author contends that Puritan women saw a life of toil as a religious obligation.

From the Paper:

"According to Christine Leigh Heyrman, Puritan women, beginning in the early to mid 1600's in Pre-Colonial America, played numerous major roles in regard to work and religion and were quite knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics, especially those related to child-rearing, household duties and serving the Church. Yet despite being "subordinate to their husbands" at both home and church, "Puritan 'goodwives' played an important part in the economies of their households and husbands entrusted them with a wide range of practical responsibilities" ("Religion, Women and the Family," Internet), including maintaining the needs of the household and actively performing in church functions while leading a "Puritan" lifestyle based on religious purity, chastity and devotion to one's family, husband, children and fellow men and women and their communities."

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