Duties

• Colonial women created the goods required by their households, such as clothing, soap and candles. Domestic animals were taken care of by women, who also cooked and sewed. However, if their husbands were injured or sick, or otherwise unavailable, women maintained the male duties as well, including fishing, hunting, harvesting and tool repair. Although Colonial women could not vote, they could cast ballots in place of their husbands if the men were unable to do so. The husband's vote represented the consensus of the family.
  
  

Education

• American Colonial women were not well-educated. Their roles in the home did not particularly warrant education and, more importantly, they were believed to be much less capable of educational success than men. Many women were illiterate -- unable even to sign their own names -- though the number did decrease over time. Of those who actually received structured education, most Colonial women attended dame schools, which were small gatherings hosted by women available for the task. Arithmetic was, however, considered important for women to understand due to its usefulness in household chores such as bookkeeping.
  
  

Marriage

• More men than women lived in Colonial society. As a result there existed more demand for a woman's help than was available. Men wasted little time before courting widows after their husbands died. During the formation of America much disorganization existed and it was difficult to maintain a new society built of various immigrants. Women, as well as men, who came to America tried to start a new marriage without ending previous marriages in England. Punishments for marrying cousins or even those thought to be lacking respect included fees, prison and ceasing interaction with said persons.
  
  

Religion

• Women in Colonial America were expected to raise their children as devout Christians. Women attended church more than men, so it became natural for them to maintain their family's religious activity. Religion provided women a moral compass to help them guide their children and family. However, otherwise it was extremely stringent, largely based on sermons meant to inspire good behavior through threats and fear. As a result women grew up with what is referred to as inherited nervousness, or anxiety related to the many demands placed upon them by the church.