Cult of Domesticity

Cult of Domesticity

In the early 19th century, women faced limited options. Prevailing customs demanded that women restrict their activities after marriage to the home and family. Housework and childcare were considered the only proper activities for married women. This code became known as the cult of domesticity. By 1850, roughly one in five white women had worked for wages a few years before they were married. About one in ten single white women worked outside the home earning about half the money a man would get for the same job. Women were typically not allowed to sit on juries and their land and money were considered their husbands when they got married.