How The Status Of Women And Free Blacks Has Evolved

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Market Revolution
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

The state of freedom in America has evolved culturally, politically, socially, and even economically. Earlier on before the 19th century, discrimination against women and free blacks in America was highly evident. The blacks were for example not allowed to use various facilities that were only reserved for white Americans. Such services included schools and colleges, buses, restaurants, and other public facilities.

This inequality and discrimination have however changed over the years. Certain reasons for these changes include the formation of certain social movements that aimed at enhancing political, social, and economic freedom, equality, and self-sufficiency. Such movements include the Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) that fought for black freedom and equality, the Women’s Rights Movement of 1848 to1998 that has continued to fight for the achievement of complete civil, religious, and social rights.

The market revolution is another reason for the evolvement of the changes in the status of American women and the free blacks.

Market Revolution

This is described as the changes in the economy that included a chain of innovations in the transport and communication sector. (Foner, p 309). At this time, new freedom ideas were formed while the old ones got reinforced.

The revolution brought about business and commercial relations among people from cross-cutting regions as well as self-independence among the Americans (Foner, p 332). Though the idea of self-economic independence targeted all Americans, women and the free blacks did not acquire this freedom and independence.

Most of the black people were enslaved while the free blacks lacked access to equal market benefits as those accessed by the whites. It was against the law for them to access not just public land but also certain states such as Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, and Illinois.

Discrimination against the blacks was evident through their poor living conditions in designated parts of America such as Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and New York. Segregation was the way of life where every quality public facility was reserved for the whites. The free blacks were further oppressed by the lack of opportunity to practice and enhance their skills. In the 18th century, for example, northern black craftsmen were denied the chance to market their products by the white craftsmen hence confining them to their poor living conditions and low economic class. The northern blacks could only work as unskilled laborers that were hired as servants for the whites and had negligible wages. (Foner, p 337).

The market revolution gradually changed the status of women in the 19th century. Due to the decline in the household products to the economy, women found their cultural and usual roles diluted by increased production of goods that were formerly made at home. The changes in the lives of women however varied. Women in the middle and upper classes enjoyed staying at home while their husbands went to work. On the other hand, women and other family members in the low class had to find jobs to survive in the hard economy as well as contribute an income to the family. They worked in factories and as servants for the families in the middle and upper class rendering women in these two classes free from both the hard economy as well as the household labor. (Foner, p 339).

Conclusion

The market revolution further divided society. Though there was an acquisition of freedom, it was unequal such that the rich high and middle-class individuals, that were mainly whites, became actively and directly involved in the economy where they worked as professionals, merchants, and factory owners while the poor, who were mainly blacks, worked as their servants at home and as unskilled lowly paid laborers in factories. The blacks acquired the hardest jobs. The white American women achieved greater freedom and better jobs than the free black women. Women and free blacks are thus yet to achieve what they term as full civil rights and equality.

Work Cited

Foner, Eric. “Give Me Liberty! An American History”, 2nd Ed. New York: Norton& Company, 2008.

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How The Status Of Women And Free Blacks Has Evolved

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