InfluenceofDomesticIdeologyintheSouth

CynthiaAcosta

HIS30102

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ProfessorResnick
March13,2014
MarliF.WeinerinherDomesticIdeologyintheSouthdescribeswhatisthe
cultureofdomesticityandhowitimpactedandcameaboutSouthernculture.Aroundthe
late18thcenturyandtheearly19thcenturytherewasashifteconomicallyandsociallyi.
Thisshiftbroughtuponthedomesticideologythatshapedsouthernlifeandinfluenced
theworksofothers.
Theeconomicandsocialchangeswherethatofrisingnumberoffactories.Withthese
newfactories,menlefttheiragricultureworkandoptedforworkingintheNortheast
wherefactorieswerelocated.iiConsequentlywomenalsostoppedfocusingonproduction
astheyhadbeforeandsoughtconsumptioninstead,makingherhomeaplaceofpridefor
theirhusbandstoreturnto.So,thedomesticideologycamebothfrommenandwomen.
Interestingly,womendidnotfindtheirnewspheredistastefulbutenjoyedtheir
superiorityofmenonamoralscale.Itgeneratedinthemafeelingorworthandameans
ofgettingtheirvoiceheard.Togethertheyformedbondsandanetworkofwomen.
Womenrealizedtheyhadmoreincommonwithoneanotherandalsobroughtitupon
themselvestohelpotherwomenwhowerelessfortunatethanthem(thoseorphaned,
widowed,orabused)iii.Helpingoutotherwomenextendedtheirinfluenceoutsidethe
home.
UnlikeNortheasternwomen,Southernwhitewomenwereawareoftheideologyof
domesticityivandmadeitapointtoshapetheirlivesaroundit.Weinerarguesthat
becauseofthistherewaslessanxietyintheSouthcomparedtotheNorth.Thetaskof
followingtheideology,however,waschallenging.Womenwere,simplyput,expectedto

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beaperfectChristianv.Theywereresponsiblenotonlyforthemselves,butfortheirmen
andchildren.Womenwerealsotoldnottoexpecttheirmarriagestobehappybutto
realizethatmentoomademistakes.Nonetheless,womenwerenotpardonedfrom
mistakesaseasily.Theidealwifewasthesameastheidealmotherandisasfollows:
loving,strictbutgentle,hardworking,patient,andarguablyperfect.
Womenalsohadanextendedinfluenceintheslaveworld.IntheSouthwomenwere
discouragedintakingpartofreformmovements,butinsteadencouragedtoextendtheir
kindnessoutsideoftheirhome,includingtotheslavesvi.Womenweretothinkofslaves
likewhitechildrenwhoneededtolearnandbetakencareof.Hercharityshouldextend
tothem.Themastersofthehousewerecalledtowatchovertheslavesbutmostoftengot
caughtuprunningtheplantation,sotheresponsibilitywasputonthewomentocarryout
theorders.Slaveryenhancedthedomesticideology.Womenwereexpected,asWeiner
putsit,toturntheexpectationsoftheSouth'sideologyofdomesticityintoadaily
reality.vii
WilliamHarperinhisMemoironSlaveryacknowledgesthatrapingslavewomen
iswrongbuthetriestojustifyitsayingthatitreallydoesnoharm,butinfactbettersthe
slaveandsocietyviii.Hesuggeststhattheoffspringofarapewouldbehalfblackandhalf
white,thusmakinghim/hersuperiortotheotherslaves.Therefore,thewhitemandid
themafavorbyrapingthewomen.HarpergoesontosaythattherearerarelySouthern
womenprostitutes,andthattherealtroubleiswiththeNorthwhereslaveryis
nonexistentix.Hesaysthatthereisnoneedforbrothelsbecauseslaveryexists.Like
Weinerexpressed,theNorthwasmorechaoticwherethedomesticideologydidnotexist.

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Slaveryactuallystrengthenedthedomesticideology,whichisthemainreasonthat
Harperagreedwithslavery.
OnSlaveryandSexbyMaryBoykinChestnutshowedthedisgustofslaverybya
Southernslaveownerx.Chestnutwasgreatlyinfluencedbythecultofdomesticityas
notedintheaccountsofherdiary.Inherdairyshesatiricallypraisesthewomenofher
countryandshowshersomewhatdisgusttowardsslavery.Boykinislikethegood
ChristianwomenWeinerwasdepicting.Shecaredfortheslavesandwasappalledatthe
womenwhopointedoutothersflawsbutrefrainedfromrecognizingtheirown.These
women,asdescribedbyChestnut,didnotacknowledgetheMullatochildrentheyhad,
butpointedouteveryoneelses.Boykin,inessence,wascaringtotheslavesasshe
shouldbe,eventhoughshewasaslaveowner.Shetooktheroleofhelpingthemasshe
wouldhelpwhitechildren,seeingherselfasmoremoralthanothers,especiallythemen
inhertime.
SojournerTruthwasmoreofareformer.Shepassionatelyspokeonhow
importantawomanwasasbelievesthecultofdomesticityxi.But,Truthemphasizedthat
shesawwhitewomengettingspecialtreatmentandshewasbeingdiscriminatedagainst:
Datmanoberdarsaydatwominneedstobehelpedintocarriages,andliftedober
ditches,andtohabdebestplaceeverywhar.Nobodyeberhelpsmeintocarriages,
orobermudpuddles,orgibsmeanybestplace!"Andraisingherselftoherfull
height,andhervoicetoapitchlikerollingthunders,sheasked"Anda'n'tIa
woman?Lookatme!Lookatme!Lookatmyarm!(andshebaredherrightarm
totheshoulder,showinghertremendousmuscularpower).Ihaveploughed,and

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planted,andgatheredintobarns,andnomancouldheadme!Anda'n'tIa
woman?xii
Truthsoughttoendthediscriminationthroughherpowerfulwordscomparingherselfto
whitewomenandbringingupthefactthatJesusChristwasbornofawomenxiii.
ThecultofdomesticitypredominatedtheSouth.Itwentalongwithslaveryandthetwo
strengthenedeachother.WomenwerethoughttobeexemplarilyChristiancitizensand
hadquiteabitofpressure.Theirrolewasinthedomesticspherebuttheyalsohadan
incrediblemoralsphereaswell.Theycultofdomesticitywasthewayoflifeforboth
menandwomen,includingthoseofthevariousauthorspreviouslymentioned.

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iNotes
MarliF.Weiner,MistressesandSlaves:PlantationWomeninSouthCarolina,18301880
(Urbana:UniversityofIllinoisPress,
iiIbid.
iiiIbid.
ivIbid.
vIbid.
viIbid.
vii Ibid.
viiiWilliamHarper,HarpersMemoironSlavery,inTheProSlaveryArgument;AsMaintainedby
theMostDistinguishedWritersoftheSouthernStates(Philadelphia:Lippincott,GramboandCo.,
1853),pp.41,4245.
ixIbid.
xC.VannWoodwardandElisabethMuhlenfeld,eds.,ThePrivateMaryChestnut(NewYork:Oxford
UniversityPress,1984),pp.21,42,43.Copyright@1984.PublishedbyOxfordUniversityPress,New
York.Reprintedbypermissionofthecopyrightholders.
xiElizabethCadyStanton,SusanB.Anthony,andMatildaJoslynGage,HistoryofWomanSuffrage
(NewYork:FowlerandWells,1881),1:pp.115117.
xiiIbid.
xiiiIbid.