did the industrial revolution provide more economic opportunities for Women in the 1830s?

Answer 1

Professor Nancy F. Cott says yes. She states that “merchant capitalism reached its mature phase in 1830.” She also states that the “roles of the middle class family became more clearly defined” and that new economic opportunities opened within a limited sphere outside their home. Women also entered a variety of reform movement, to pursue objects in their own self interest as well as to improve society. Professor Garda says no. She states that a democracy provided political and economic opportunities for men and women that “were equally disenfranchised and isolated form vital centers of economic opportunity.’’ She also included “women did not play a determining role in the ranking pattern; they took their position in society through the men of their own family of the men they married.” Professor Nancy F. Cotts has a stronger argument, because he gave many ideas and example. So did Professor Gerda, but Nancy’s was more appealing and persuasive.

Answer 2

Gerda Lerner argues that the Industrial revolution did not provide more economic opportunities for women in the 1830s. She states that by 1840, American society had switched from the hierarchical concept of colonial life to an egalitarian ideology. Though, this change only applied to men. Women were excluded from democracy, and in many respects their situation had deteriorated. As wives, they had benefited from increasing wealth, urbanization, and industrialization. As economic producers and political members of society, however, they were met with little to no social approval. Many business and professional occupations formerly open to women were now closed, and many others were strictly for training. The entry of large numbers of women into low status, low pay, and low skill industrial work had fixed such work by definition as “woman’s work.” As a result, the social status of women was deteriorating while men continued to advance. Professor Nancy F. Cott argues that the Industrial revolution provided more economic opportunities for women in the 1830s. She states that prior to the Industrial Revolution, women endured subordination to men in both marriage and society. There were limited job opportunities for women, along with merely one-fourth to one-half the salary that men earned for comparable work. The 1830s, however, became a turning point in women's economic participation, public activities, and social visibility. New textile factories recruited a primarily female work force, and a considerable amount of women left home to live and work with other working women. The first industrial strike in the United States was led and peopled by women. Women were now able to use their one political ability, the right to petition, to demand further rights in terms of their property and earnings. Women were also taking up jobs such as teaching, which helped to grow the literacy rate among women. With such a growing literacy rate, women were able to take up other jobs such as journalists and writers. Women also entered a wide variety of reform movements, fighting for their own self interest and working to improve their society. The Industrial Revolution opened up many job opportunities for women that weren't available before. With these jobs, women were able to better themselves with society, economically and socially.The argument made by Professor Nancy F. Cott is much stronger in comparison to Gerda Lerner's. While Cott references and explains the many new economic opportunities for women in the 1830s, Lerner develops an argument based on the subjective status of women in comparison to men. Cott lists a variety of new jobs open to women as a result of the Industrial Revolution, and explains how these jobs helped to increase the knowledge among women, allowing for them to take up even more jobs. Lerner states that the Industrial Revolution only caused the social status of women to deteriorate, something that is difficult to prove without the influence of a biased argument.