Noel’s assertion that women enjoyed an “unusually privileged position” in New France is not true due to many contradicting facts especially Greer’s article, which basically opposes the argument that women did enjoy an “unusually privileged position.” The women of New France didn’t necessarily enjoy a privileged position in New France, but instead a different kind of position. The only women who could be thought of as enjoying a privileged position within the colony would have been the upper class, more elite women because their husbands already owned businesses, had a good income, and had shown their own status and respect to the rest of the colony. Therefore, it was the middle class, and lower class women who could not be considered as living a privileged position. These women didn’t just sit in their households caring for the children, although this was obviously still a big part of their lives. The women of New France were considered the household runners because quite obviously they were in charge of all the domestic duties. They also were often put in charge of the duties of their husbands and brother’s while they were away or if anything happened to them. These women were well educated as they were often put in charge of the children’s education as well as sometimes having roles in the military and political decisions. Furthermore, this was a different kind of position in which the women were trusted with the same important duties as the men, but still thought of as inferior and dominated by the men. Thus, this essay is going to point out why the women’s position in New France wasn’t a privileged one, contradicting Noel’s statement that it was, which will be backed up with facts from both Noel’s and Greer’s articles on the women of New France.
It seems quite probable that the women of New France were more overworked than the men. Perhaps, therefore these women didn’t enjoy a privileged position, but a more respected position. Possibly, in the world of New France respect and overworking went hand in hand for women. These women were expected to give birth approximately every two years, and care for the children, which could sometimes mean up to ten children per household. The women were also expected to take over their husband’s duties when they were away, which meant caring for their regular domestic duties as well as their husband’s duties. These middle class women obviously enjoyed a more privileged position in comparison to the other women of that time, but it can’t exactly be thought of as a privileged position considering all the work these women had to accomplish. Therefore, this doesn’t seem so much a privileged position but instead a busy, overworked position, although perhaps these women were respected for all the work they did do.
Women of New France had very strong positions centered on their children. On average these women were expected to give birth every two years until menopause.[1] However, although these women had many children throughout the course of their lives this was not considered a choice or a privilege, but a duty. These large families were needed in order to help the family survive and eventually as the children got older they were expected to help the family with their regular duties as well as helping to raise the younger children. However, the family dynamics were much different then. Although, the women were expected to have many children they were not expected to form close bonds with their children, “there was little point in growing attached to a fragile being so apt, in those centuries, to be borne away by accident or disease. These unsentimental families of all ranks sent their children out to apprentice or serve in other people’s homes.”[2] These women saw no point in attaching themselves to their children when there was such a strong possibility that they would die or be sent elsewhere to work. However, there were the more elite families who sent their children elsewhere for nursing, which was in part because it freed up their social lives and in part because they believed habitant women were more adept at nursing.[3] Therefore, although the women of New France were expected to give birth to many children, they were not expected to raise these children for the entirety of their lives, and most importantly they were not expected to consider it a privilege, but only a duty.
Furthermore, the women of New France were still dominated by their husbands as the husbands were considered controllers of their wives, children, and the colony. However, it was also considered a privilege for the women to take over their husband’s duties while they were away, but as soon as the husband returned the woman was expected to return to the house to care for the children and all the domestic duties that were required of her. Women were considered inferior to men although there were certain rules to protect women’s rights, such as the fact that any property that was acquired after a couple’s marriage must be used by the husband to support his wife and children, which also protected the women’s rights because the husband was in no way able to keep the wife from the property or the property’s surplus. Often when a woman’s husband was away she was forced to take control of all of the husband’s duties as well as keeping the household running, which meant that the women had to be able to perform all the tasks that the men performed and as well as the men, “women were as well trained as men…”[4] These duties could often include bookkeeping, artisans, accounting, trading, and the military. It was because the women were in complete control with their husbands away that they were quite use to protecting their homes from attacks. Therefore, it was not considered unusual for a woman to pick up a gun in order to protect her home and children. Furthermore, although women were most definitely considered inferior to the men, the women were still expected to perform the same tasks as the men as well as their own domestic duties, and in doing so they believed that they did indeed live a privileged position within the colony, when in reality they had no choice in the matter except to listen and obey their husband’s orders.
Although some people believed that the women of New France were better educated than the men, it was more likely that they were just educated in different manners, therefore “differently educated.”[5] An important responsibility of the women was the education of their children. It was expected by the men that the women should teach their children all they needed to know, “Many a man, observing the women of New France, was struck by the advantages they possessed in education, cultivation, and that quality called esprit or wit.[6] Although, it was considered a duty it could also be considered a privilege to be given the opportunity to pass their own knowledge onto their sons and daughters. However, more realistic was the fact that women were more adept at religion, which during that time corresponded with reading, while men were more adept at writing, “Reading and writing were quite separate skills in this period, reading associated more with religion, writing more with business, and therefore with the male sphere.[7]
Women within New France in the early years were considered minimal in number compared to the men which is perhaps why the women received what was thought of as favoured treatment.[8] The men greatly outnumbered the women, which is perhaps why the women were considered to be in such a privileged position, “women were in short supply in the early years of the colony’s development, a situation that worked in their favour.”[9] This is also why women had such free range concerning their marriages, ” Women had a wider choice in marriage than did men in the colony’s early days. There were, for example, eight marriageable men for every marriageable women in Montreal in 1663.”[10] Therefore because there were such a small number of women compared to men, the women were given the freedom of choice concerning who they wanted to marry. Thus, considering the scarcity of women during that time the women were treated with more respect by the men and thus, “women seem to have achieved a favourable position because of their small numbers.”[11] It is therefore a likely fact that because the women were so small in number compared to the men in the colony’s beginning that they had to be given some favored treatment in order to entice them to stay and freedom in marriage must have been a big temptation for these women, although in no way did it make up for the overworking and domination of these women.
Thus, the women of New France were indeed in a better position than many other women during that time period. It would seem though, that an important factor concerning this judgment might have been the limited number of women compared to men. However, even though these women of New France were considered to be in a privileged position, from the outside looking in, it looks more like an overworked position in which the women were pushed to their limits and expected to perform the tasks of their husbands when necessary as well as their own duties, and then when the men returned they were sent back to the household again. Therefore, it wasn’t exactly a privileged position, but more of a position that allowed the women a little more respect than women were use to during that time. In short it made the women feel more important because they were given the opportunity of performing the same tasks as the men, but it still couldn’t exactly be called a privileged position. The women were still dominated by the men and expected to obey what they wanted whenever they wanted it. Thus, in conclusion the women did enjoy a privileged position compared to the other women of that time, but definitely not a privileged position in the everyday lives of women.
Margaret Conrad and Alvin Finkel. History of the Canadian Peoples: Beginnings to1867. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada Inc., 2002.
Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” In Rethinking Canada: The Promise ofWomen’s History Veronica Strong Boag, and A. Fellman. Oxford University Press, 1997, 33-56.
Allan Greer, “Ch.4: Women of New France,” The People of New France Allan Greer. Univ. of Toronto Press, 1997, 60-75, 125.
[1] Margaret Conrad and Alvin Finkel, History of the Canadian Peoples: Beginnings to 1867 (Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada Inc., 2002), 87.
[2] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, and A. Fellman, eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 36.
[3] Allan Greer, “Ch.4: Women of New France,” in Allan Greer, The People of New France (Univ. of Toronto Press, 1997): 66.
[4] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 40.
[5] Allan Greer, “Ch.4: Women of New France,”in Allan Greer, The People of New France (Univ. of Toronto Press, 1997): 67
[6] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 34.
[7] Allan Greer, “Ch.4: Women of New France,” in Allan Greer, The People of New France (Univ. of Toronto Press, 1997): 67.
[8] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 44.
[9] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 41.
[10] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 44.
[11] Jan Noel, “New France: Les Femmes Favorisees,” in Veronica Strong Boag, A. Fellman eds., RethinkingCanada: The Promise of Women’s History (Oxford Univ. Press, 1997): 45.
