What was life like for women in 1874?

Answer 1

That depended on her race and her social class. First, under the law, whether she were rich or poor, girls had fewer legal rights than boys, and girls also had fewer opportunities in life. If she were from a wealthy family, her family's goal would be for her to marry well-- to find a prosperous husband from the same social class. While upper class girls did attend school (often a private academy), there was no expectation that they would attend a university or work outside the home. By the 1870s some daughters of the wealthy were attending what came to be called a "finishing school," where upper-class young ladies of privilege acquired the proper manners and social graces they would need to perform their role as hostesses of society events or as volunteers for charitable or church organizations. Some upper-class girls, especially those from the most influential families, had their own servants. It should be noted that a small number of girls from wealthy backgrounds had some career aspirations, but these dreams were, for the most part, not encouraged.

As for the poor, girls from lower class backgrounds were not expected to complete high school. Many worked in mills or were servants in the homes of the wealthy. Some girls did sewing, cooking, or other domestic tasks for the wealthy, and in all cases, the pay was very low. As with upper class girls, the expectation for a 16 year old girl of the lower class was that she would find a husband (society still regarded marriage and motherhood as a woman's only "natural" role). There were some young marriages amongst the poor, and if a girl got married, her primary duty would be having and raising children. It should also be noted that if the 16-year old girl were black, her options were even more limited. While there were a few wealthy black families, for the most part, black girls were given little opportunity for education. Most did janitorial or other menial work. Slavery had ended, but prejudiced attitudes remained, and although some black girls (especially in northern cities) did get to attend high school, a majority never did.

Answer 2

Life for women in 1874 was generally centered around their domestic roles as wives and mothers. They had limited opportunities for education and employment outside the home, and their rights and freedoms were restricted compared to men. Women had limited political and legal rights, were not allowed to vote, and had limited access to higher education and professional careers. Gender roles were rigidly defined and enforced, and women were expected to conform to societal expectations of femininity and propriety.