peacocks and lilies

It’s not what you think, so keep reading. I’m going to tell you another story from the history books. This one is not of a single woman, but of an entire generation of women. So sit back and enjoy the ride, because we’re going all the way back to the beginning of this country.

People like to think this was a country founded by men, but it wasn’t. It was co-founded by men. One of the first states in our Union was Virginia, named after the first European to be born in America, who was by turns named after England’s Virgin Queen (Elizabeth I). Yes, the very first American was a female named Virginia Dare. Gosh, could you get more narrativey than a name like that? A female? Named Dare? Wow, the possibilities are endless. But, of course, that’s not the story I’m here to tell.

I want to tell you about Republican Motherhood, a recent term that describes what colonial mothers did to create the first citizens of this country. The idea was to instruct children in the principles of their new governing documents, to incorporate those lessons into everyday life. Just as a child would learn to button their shirt, they would learn about freedom, patriotism, and sacrificing for their country. Recall that during the Revolution men were gone from home a lot, and, like women in World War II, this kind of self-reliance led to women taking on more and more responsibility and feeling empowered by that.

The idea that mothers had a “special role to play” in making the new country was a new one. It changed the face of womanhood, in fact. All citizens where to be schooled in these principles by their mothers, regardless of gender, and girls began to receive their lessons right alongside boys. Eventually, one member of this emerging generation, Mary Lyon, started the first female school, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which later became Mount Holyoke College.

There is a song by Woody Guthrie called She Came Along to Me. It’s a silly little song that I came across it by way of Billy Bragg and Wilco’s excellent album of Guthrie covers called Mermaid Avenue. One line in it stands out to me, though:

Never, never, never,
Never could have it been done
if women hadn’t entered into the deal

This is so true in so many ways. Both the employment of Republican Motherhood and the passage of the 19th Amendment were catalysts for movements for the rights of other people. Republican Motherhood led directly to the Abolition movement, which was fueled generally by the labor of women associated with prominent abolitionist men. This kind of political participation by women was unprecedented in the modern world. Likewise passage of the 19th Amendment led to even greater political participation of women, which in turn translated to direct empowerment of all people of color, and eventually played a significant role in the Civil Rights movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 could not have passed without the participation of women, and the political clout they held as a result. No less than Woody Guthrie recognized this simple fact.

So now you know this important part of your history. You know how women began to be empowered in this country, and it started right at the beginning. Women helped create this country just as much as men did, and now you know it. But maybe you’re asking yourself, now what? Let me help you connect the dots.

Regardless of how far we may have come in the public sphere, the domestic sphere is still largely the sphere of women. Part of those responsibilities include primary caretaker status of children. It is a fact. Your children may have more of their fathers than previous generations, but all of the research indicates that women are still largely responsible for taking care of their children.

You know that other old song? The one by Crosby, Stills, & Nash? This one:

Can you hear me now? Heh. Seriously, think about it. I counsel my students all the time to start with their strengths. Go with what you know, I tell them. Why aren’t we women doing that? We’ve been stuck with the kids for millenium upon millenium. We’re darn good at it–taking care of them, training them, providing for them? So why aren’t we training them like those republican mothers? Why aren’t we instilling in them the values of the world we want to see? Where is the parenting book on that topic?