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The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Women

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The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Women
Timothy Takacs
World History, CHY4U
Ms. Kazurak
June 17 2013

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Women

The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Women In the analyzing of history, the Industrial Revolution stands out like a beacon of light among the vast amounts of revolutions before it. It can be argued that the most drastic events in history are stepping-stones towards the Industrial Revolution: the most affective revolution towards liberty, and equality. In the aggressive pursuit for goods, the roles women played towards their family and their working contributions had dramatically changed. And although the change among women did not equalize them with men, it was the spark towards equality. The Industrial Revolution had a positive impact on women because it allowed women to move from a domestic sphere environment a public sphere environment, it allowed women to be more politically engaged, and due to independent wages, gave them a sense of independence.

Before the Industrial Revolution Before the Industrial Revolution the status of women was bestowed as the status of their husband (Ushistory.org). Women of the nineteenth century in fact, had no independent status of their own; they were seen as weak and fragile, and played little role in the public sphere. The public sphere consisted of lawyers, doctors, builders, etc, whom all were comprised of men. This was an environment that was seen as violent and full of temptations which women, seen as weak and fragile, could not survive in. Therefore, the roles of women before the Industrial Revolution were placed strictly within the domestic sphere under her husbands’ protection, financial security, and social status (Ushistory.org). Although restricted to the domestic sphere, women played no little role in their domain. In which was later called the “women’s sphere”, women held all responsibilities within the house, which consisted of cleaning, cooking, childcare, and their womanly duties

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