Republican Motherhood Blog

1.       What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?
The Revolutionary War drew men and older boys from their houses, leaving women to take care of the estates. In Document B, it is mentioned that the children take after what their mother teaches them. The mother raises the children so it is quite important for them to have some education. Mothers raise the future politicians, lawyers, etc. of America, therefore it became important for mothers to teach their children. Also this gave a better social meaning to the job of the women around the house, seeing as they were expected to overseeing activities in the house.

Above: A women spending time with her family
2.      What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?
Due to this new duty of women, the view of women was changed. They were expected to never interfere with politics, as said in Document A. Also since women were the teachers of future generations, learning was limited. If a mother did not know arithmetic or could not write, it would affect her children. Children were raised and taught by women, so if your mothers education was lacking, yours could be, too.

Above: A mother with her children
3.      What is the significance of the ideology of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women’s socialization?
Women finally had a role in society that was meaningful. "If the hedges and borders of the social garden be broken up, the lovely vine... will be the first to fall and be trodden under foot" (Document D). This quote is saying that if women don't perform with their new duties, than society will collapse and the first to fall will be the women. The socialization of women was affected by Republican Motherhood because the motherhood made women and active part of society and gave them a purpose around the house.

 Above: Mary Gibson Tilghman and her sons by Charles Willson Peale (1789)

1.       Describe the setting.
 Mary and her sons are sitting, most likely, in a living room on a sofa. Based on their outfits, they seems quite wealthy and also they have enough money to commission a painting of themselves. Another interesting part of the painting is that there is no husband painted.
2.      Who serves at the center of the portrait and why?  How does the woman look?  How is she “republican” rather than aristocratic?
 The woman is the center of the painting, she is the oldest person in the painting and therefore holds the most power. Normally, the man of the house was painted in the center because he held the most power in the house, but due to the republicanism of women, the women in the photo holds the most power in the photo. An aristocratic woman would never be the center of a photo with her sons, a woman in that social setting would hold less power than her sons, even though they are children.
3.      What values do her sons exhibit?
 Her sons both seem to love their mother, they are sitting on her lap and the one son is reaching for her arm. Also they both seem content and calm enough to let the painter paint their portrait.
4.      Is there a significance to the position of Mrs. Tilgham’s arm?
Her arm is a crossed the lap of her one son's lap. This is a position of power, she is exerting her dominance over the thing she can control, her children. She has the ability to shape the future by controlling her children and teaching them, which by the looks of the picture, is a job she took seriously.