Assignment 7: Primary Source Document Reflection

Benjamin Wadsworth, A Well-Ordered Family(Boston, 1712). About the duties of husbands and wives
This piece of writing explains a lot about how women and men had different roles. It also talked about how each one had to compliment the other. The men were the head of the household and as such should be obeyed by his wife. But, it also explains that this does not mean he should treat her like his servant. It says that he should treat her with a lot of affection, love, and kindness. It says that God put the man in charge of his wife, and therefore the woman was put there to obey him but also with kindness and affection. When I read this, I was thinking what a perfect life he portrays it to be. I do not believe all men treated their wives with this kind of respect and love that he talks about. How can there be respect among them, if one must obey the other. I think men abused this theory that God put women here to obey them. Women were not treated like "all" people. We did not have the same rights as them and I don't think that is respect. In our lives today, women can vote and we fought for that right. Women are not seen as a lesser person and we have many rights that we did not have back then. Most women now work and go to college and that's something we were not allowed before. I think we have certainly come a long way and women now are much more independent.