Blog #6

Textbook: Chapter 4
1. After the idea of Manifest Destiny had influenced the expansion of the United States, different groups of women began to have different experiences. White American women chose to follow their husbands, making their journey west towards California, Oregon, and Washington. While on the trail, these women had their responsibilities of taking care of the children and making sure that the family was being fed. These women also had to work at conditions that their grandmothers worked in because they were not allowed to bring new inventions such as iron stoves. The Native American women became servants or prostitutes of the white Americans after their white husbands had left them in order to marry white women. White women were fearful of the Native Americans and the Native American women were fearful of the white man who would rape them. As the settlers kept moving westwards, the Mexican women were effected just as the Native American women were. Mexican women were given a lot of property after their husbands had died because they were under a Mexican law. As time passed, the law was changed to follow the U.S. laws which gave the husbands more power over their land. This law allowed for the property to go from the Mexicans’ ownership to the Americans. Eventually, these Mexican women had lost their lands and turned to becoming servants for the White Americans.

2. One of the developments that allowed women to go into reform was the fact that women were becoming more religiously involved. Their religious involvement allowed for their increase in faith, which would then give them their strength to speak their minds and form organizations. The organizations that they formed were usually related to their religious obligations. This eventually helped lead to the temperance movement in which they focused on the abstinence of alcohol. The temperance movement was also a beginning in which more men were able to become criticized by the women. After turning to religion, many had realized that slavery was a sin. This belief helped lead to the abolitionism of slavery. Women’s role in religion brought women into the era of women’s right and also changed the way that black people were treated in certain states.

Source Interpretation Textbook document
1. She becomes curious about Chavez and his story of survival while running away from the Americans. Since she was so curious about Chavez, it allowed her to become involved in his story. She is also curious about the men that surrounded her house because she thought that the noise in the yard was caused by the sheep getting into her yard. She becomes fearful because she is unsure whether she will get caught helping Chavez and that if she does get caught, she and Chavez will both be killed. She exhibits her fear when she is unsure of what to do and wishes that her husband was there to help her in the decision. She is also great at concealing her reaction when she is calm throughout the experience. As the lieutenant points the gun at her, she calmly asks if the man they are looking for had been found. This showed the lieutenant that she was worried a man might be hiding in her home and that she was unaware of anything.

2. We are shown that she is a very independent women and is able to handle and make decisions by herself. She is a women that is not afraid to handle the toughest situations. Her independence shows us her strength that she herself has created along with her faith. The source of her strength comes from her faith in God because in the document she stated, “love of God” had a great impact on the decision that she made. Although, she does show a sign of being dependant when she is in need of male figure for advice. This is shown when she goes to her brothers for their opinions since her husband is away. The absence of the men allowed her to take the male role in the home by making the decisions and acting upon those decisions. Her strength and courage are traits that are memorable throughout history.