Women Through Time ~ SB#6 ~ Pg 146

I read the book Gone With the Wind. It is set in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In this time period, women were expected to be meek and humble. It was not acceptable for a woman to be out without a chaperone. This could be another female, a servant, or a male family member. They were expected to stay at home and manage the household. Their hosehold would consist of whatever children they had and also, many of them had slaves or servants. They would go to gatherings quite often. During a war, these gatherings were centered around things they could do for the troops. While their husbands were away at war, they were expected to be strong and courageous while still maintaining as normal of a life as they could. They also had to take care of any business outside of the home that their husbands had done. Once their husbands returned home, they were expected to become more dependent upon the men in their lives again.

Women Through Time ~ CE #4 ~ page 146

I read about Elizabeth Blackwell. She was the first female doctor. Her parents didn't see her dream of becoming a doctor as a realistic idea and were not supportive of her. She was rejected by the medical schools she applied to. The school that finally accepted her did so believing it was a practical joke. School was hard because the teachers believed that women should stay at home and not pursue a career. At that time, it was believed that the female mind was inferior. Once she had graduated from medical school, very few people were willing to let her practice medicine on them simply because she was a female. The book did not say if she had any mentors.