Womenin Colonial North America

　　The statusof women in colonial North America has been well studied and described and canbe briefly summarized. Throughout the colonial period there was a markedshortage of women, which varied with the regions and was always greatest in thefrontier areas. This favorable ratio enhanced womens status and position andallowed them to pursue different careers.

　　The Puritans, the religious sect that dominated theearly british colonies in North America, regarded idleness as a sin, andbelieved that life in an underdeveloped country made it absolutely necessarythat each member of the community perform an economic function. Thus workfor women, married or single, was not only approved, it wasregarded as a civic duty. Puritan town councils expectedwidows and unattached women to be self supporting and for a long time provided needy spinsters with parcels of land. There was no socialsanction against married women working; on the

　　contrary, wives were expected to help their husbandsin their trade and won social approval for doing extra work in or out of thehome. Needy children, girls as well as boys, were indentured or apprenticed andwere expected to work for their keep. The vast majority of women worked withintheir homes, where their labor produced most articles needed for the family.The entire

　　colonial production of cloth and clothing andpartially that of shoes was in the hands of women. In addition to these occupations, women were found in many different kinds of employment. Theywere butchers, silversmiths, gunsmiths and upholsterers. They ran mills, plantations, tanyards, shipyards, and every kind of shop, tavern, and boardinghouse. Theywere gatekeepers, jail keepers, sextons, journalists, printers, apothecaries,midwives, nurses, and teachers.

　　全文翻譯：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

　　Womenin Colonial North America

　　The statusof women in colonial North America has been well studied and described and canbe briefly summarized. Throughout the colonial period there was a markedshortage of women, which varied with the regions and was always greatest in thefrontier areas. This favorable ratio enhanced womens status and position andallowed them to pursue different careers.

　　The Puritans, the religious sect that dominated theearly british colonies in North America, regarded idleness as a sin, andbelieved that life in an underdeveloped country made it absolutely necessarythat each member of the community perform an economic function. Thus workfor women, married or single, was not only approved, it wasregarded as a civic duty. Puritan town councils expectedwidows and unattached women to be self supporting and for a long time provided needy spinsters with parcels of land. There was no socialsanction against married women working; on the

　　contrary, wives were expected to help their husbandsin their trade and won social approval for doing extra work in or out of thehome. Needy children, girls as well as boys, were indentured or apprenticed andwere expected to work for their keep. The vast majority of women worked withintheir homes, where their labor produced most articles needed for the family.The entire

　　colonial production of cloth and clothing andpartially that of shoes was in the hands of women. In addition to these occupations, women were found in many different kinds of employment. Theywere butchers, silversmiths, gunsmiths and upholsterers. They ran mills, plantations, tanyards, shipyards, and every kind of shop, tavern, and boardinghouse. Theywere gatekeepers, jail keepers, sextons, journalists, printers, apothecaries,midwives, nurses, and teachers.

　　全文翻譯：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