Republican Motherhood Blog

1.) What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?
Women's status was changed by the Revolutionary War from housewife to their children to the base of colonial society. Women were then meant to prepare their children for the future and teach them values according to the American way of life. Eventually, women would become the head of the household and make sure their children have obtained the skills and knowledge necessary for daily life in American society.

2.) What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?
A decrease in the amount of working women was an outcome of Republican Motherhood. Women were now supposed to be the rulers of their household, prepare their children for outside the home and overall devote themselves to domestic life. For women who still had a job, this was nearly impossible, so many of them quit and decided to focus on their families. Another consequence of Republican Motherhood was the average family size decreased as birth rates dropped. This was because mothers were now becoming attached to individual children rather than the family as a whole. This was done in order to prepare the boys to grow up and work in the government or politics and the girls to become good wives and Republican mothers.

3.) What is the significance of the ideology of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women’s socialization?
As women gained access to more power, education, and responsibility from Republican Motherhood, they began to crave more and more, eventually leading to the 1848  Senaca Falls Convention. Without Republican Motherhood, women may not have the freedoms they do today mostly because it became a steppingstone in the Civil Rights movement and began to change history.


1.) Describe the setting. A woman and two children sit in front of a simple gray background, dressed plainly, there is no evidence of extreme wealth or prestige. Their clothing is simple and appears to be a traditional republican setting.

2.) Who serves at the center of the portrait and why?  How does the woman look?  How is she “republican” rather than aristocratic? 
A.) Mary Tilghman is the center of the portrait. She is a Republican mother. She is most likely in the center of the portrait because she was the head of the household and everything that happened was subject to her rule, and she as the Republican mother, reshaped the domestic scene of America.
B.) She appears to be simple, no jewelry or any presence of wealth.
C.) This portrait makes Mary Tilghman appear to be more traditional republican rather than an aristocrat who would no be portrayed so simply. An aristocrat would be painted with an exciting background and with lots of jewelry and makeup.

3.) What values do her sons exhibit? Friendly, happy, obedient to their mother.

4.) Is there a significance to the position of Mrs. Tilgham’s arm? Yes, the position and location of Mrs. Tighman's arm displays her power and control that exists within her household. Her arm position on the child claims it as hers and her responsibility to care for and prepare the child for American society outside the house.