Essay Sample on Republican Motherhood in the United States

Republican motherhood refers to the role of women in the republic. Women were expected to raise the next generation of patriots by teaching them the democratic values. These republican mothers were the daughters of the patriots, they grew up with the ideas of republicanism. They were expected to pass those ideas to their children. Republican motherhood is the concept of elevating women’s role. It states that women are the main educators of their children so that they can teach them how to become productive citizens. This was a revolutionary idea because it changed women’s daily life. Their mark is still evident in our world today. Women were and still are viewed as the pillar of the house. The success of the United States of America rested not only on the patriots but on the mothers of the new world. Women needed to educate their children about the values of republicanism, and motivate their husbands to serve the nation in order for the United states to succeed. So what are those values that the republican mothers are supposed to teach their children? Liberty and equality. These words are the basic building block of all democratic political systems including the one that the United States of America adopted.

Although women didn’t have many rights, many of them were able to accomplish a great many of things. One of those women is John Adams' wife, Abigail Adams. Abigail Smith was born to Harvard graduate Reverend William Smith and Elizabeth Quincy Smith. Her grandfather, John Quincy, was a wealthy leader in his community. Abigail's education was important to her parents, though she never went to school due to her mother’s fear for her health. On October 25, 1764 she married a man named John Adams. Their marriage came to represent the model marriage of the eighteenth century. Abigail and John Adam went to have 5 children, one of them who died. Abigail was not just a mother, She was an activist for women’s rights and an abolitionist. She became one of the first advocates for women’s rights when she wrote remember the ladies to her husband, John Adams. She states “I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” (Adams, 1776). Abigail Adams experienced firsthand the development of the republic. She represented the women of her time and the values and duties that come with republican motherhood. John Adam encouraged Abigail to educate their children “[Cultivate] their Minds, inspire their little Hearts, raise their Wishes. Fix their Attention upon great and glorious Objects, root out every little Thing, weed out every Meanness, make them great and manly. Teach them to scorn Injustice, Ingratitude, Cowardice, and [Falsehood]. Let them revere nothing but Religion, Morality, and Liberty. ( Adams, 177). In 1775 during the battle of bunker hill Dr. Joseph Warren, a close family friend, died. This event motivated Abigail to take an interest in America’s struggle. She also started expressing the matters of the war to her children. For example she took John to the top of penn hill near their farm so that he could look at the site of the battle of bunker hill. 

Another woman that many people refer to as an example when talking about republican motherhood is Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Catharine Maria Sedgwick is an American novelist who promoted republican motherhood. She was born on December 28, 1789 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Catherine’s father, Theodore Dwight Sedgwick was the speaker for the House of Representatives which prompted her love for the higher class thinking and pride for the nation. Catharine Maria Sedgwick started writing when she was 20 years old. She wrote short novels which contained the theme of feminism.

By the bravery of the founding fathers, our country was founded and because of the faith and honor of their children the same flag will continue to fly over us. After fighting the revolution, the founding fathers handed down the fragile country to their sons hoping that they had been raised well enough to protect it. Republican motherhood was so prevalent, that the army was 50% filled with boys 19 years and younger. The boys were raised by their mother to honor God and their country without any questions. Even though republican motherhood only started to motivate women to influence people in their home, it started a revolution. This started the fire for women to start protesting voting rights, property rights and so much more. 

women did not yet have voting rights, or equal power but they had the acknowledgment that they were capable of moral and rational decision making and that was a huge step forward for women. This step gives women an enhanced status as to who is going to educate the children. The revolutionary generation believed that the survival of republicanism relied on the next generation being patriotic. to do that you had to raise up patriotic sons.

Republican motherhood refers to the role of women in the republic. After the revolution, the mothers of the republic had to take up the jobs of the men. They took up the role of implementing patriotic values in the children. Republican motherhood is the concept of elevating women’s role. It states that women are the main educators of their children so that they can teach them how to become productive citizens. This was a revolutionary idea because it changed women’s daily life.