Republican M otherhood

During the Revolutionary War，women participated in political acts such as staging boycotts，signing petitions，and aiding husbands and sons in managing businesses，but they did not gain suffrage or other rights in the new republic，as the Revolution fell short of extending equality and freedom to women.In this young democracy，the notion of women's roles in the republic emerged to praise the value ofmothers as educators，nurturers，and child bearers who raise sons to be virtuous，active citizens in a democratic society.Their Revolutionary War1 experiences prompted some women to consider the male，public，political sphere as not solely isolated from their domestic sphere，since，as“Republican Mothers”，they could be involved in the republican society by utilizing their domestic skills as guardians of the home，thus imparting virtue and morals to their children for participation in democracy.

10-14　Catharine Beecher

To fulfill these gender-specific domestic roles in helping to shape public affairs in the new nation，some women argued for access to education in female academies，since better knowledge and skills in reading，writing，and caring for the health of familymembers could preparewomen to be better mothers.The education in female academies emphasized female attributes in training young women to becamemothers and wives.