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Question: What was a women's life like right before the Civil War!?
I'm doing a project & I have to write 3 journal entries on what a women's life was like on a plantation or farm before the Civil War & I'm having trouble finding out information!. All I need to know is what a normal day of a married women's life was like during this time!.!.!.!. Any answers!? :)Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
On a plantation this would depend upon her social class - if she were married to the master of the plantation, she would do no housework - this would all be done by slaves!. Her main functions would be to have children, to act as a gracious hostess during parties (which were frequent among the upper classes), to find husbands and wives for her offspring, and to attend charity functions!.
A farm wife would have a much harder existence!. She too would be expected to bear children, but she would have to care for them herself (with the assistance of older children, sisters, and so forth)!. She would have done an awful lot of sewing, knitting, and probably spinning!. She would cook most of the meals, help with the harvest, help prepare food for winter storage, help with planting, milk the cows, make the butter and cheese, make the apple cider and the beer, make the candles and the soap, do all the laundry, feed the chickens, haul water, and on and on!. The labor was endless!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Try googling "woman+daily+life+civil+war" that should give you several results!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i can help a bit!. well they couldn't vote or do anything important but rich white men could!. african americans[enslaved 2] and farmers were forbidden!. Ummm!.!.!.!.!. if they owned a farm or plantation a wife would probably do alot of housework such as sewing, cooking, and cleaning!. She would make breakfast, lunch and dinner from the crops in the field or from somewhere else!. She would sew her familys clothes like the children and her husband and if any other relatives lived with them!. Lastly she would clean the house like get the beds ready for the children and clean up the rooms and order everything!. She also might get the fire going for warmth in the winter!. She would sew blankets in the winter too!. She in the winter too might also make the beds more comfy and warmer!. Hoped I helped!. u can also search on dictionary!.com, google!.com, blackle!.com, wikipedia!.com, and i think thats all!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

On a plantation - contrary to popular beleive, women on a plantation didn't just sit around looking pretty!. They were often involved with the operation of the house, and even running the business of the plantation!.

Did you know that smoking was considered unlady like and most women used snuff tobacco flavored with mint!? It was used as a breath freshener as well!. also, tea was extreamly expensive at the time!. Coffee was the perferred drink in the South!.

Source: Tour I took of Gamble plantation in Florida!.

If the woman was poor - she was out working along side her husband in the field, plowing, hoeing, picking crops, ect!. Women always wore dresses!. Shoes were saved for Sunday if a pair could be afforded!. Every other day, they went barefoot, men and women both!.

Source: family history!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The following link may be of some use to you!. I regulary visit the "Index of Civil War Information Available on the Internet," which is really just a site with links to other websites on the Civil War!. But the real reason I visit it is because they break things down by categories!. Abolition and Slavery, Animals/Veterinary Science, Battles, Biological Sciences, Children, Communications, Diaries, etc!. There's got to be at least a hundred different categories, one being women!. The link is to the Women category of the site!. You should be able to go through and find out about individuals and women in general around the time of the Civil War!.Www@QuestionHome@Com