JohnHadley

=**Freedoms and Limitations Enjoyed by Elizabethan Women and Children**=

The Elizabethan Period was a golden age for England under which all aspects of English culture and civilization flourished. One of the aspects of English civilization/culture that flourished was the rights enjoyed by the people of the Age. English men enjoyed most of these rights however; there were also expansions in the freedoms of women.

Limitations of Elizabeth Women

All Elizabethan women were under the control of the men of their house and were expected to follow the men. Elizabethan society was patriarchal; this was especially important because it dominated all of Elizabethan women’s lives. Elizabethan women were unable to inherit their parent’s title. The exception to this rule was the monarchy where it was possible to inherit the title from one’s parents, an example is the Queen of the time, Queen Elizabeth I. Also, Elizabethan women were unable to vote, or take part in political activities. ([|www.elizabethan-era.org])

Upper-class Elizabethan women did not have the privilege of choosing who they would marry. The marriages were arranged by woman’s father or another male family member who acted as the patriarch if the fatherwas deceased. The inheritance would go to the eldest son after the parents’ death. The daughter would receive the inheritance only if there were no sons. However, it would not go directly into the daughter’s hands, the fortune would instead go into a trust that would be maintained the patriarchal head, or if the daughter was married, then the inheritance would go to the woman’s husband. It was very rare that a woman ever inherited her parent’s fortunes. ([|www.elizabethan-era.org])
 * Upper-Class Elizabethan Women**

Lower-class Elizabethan women had no restrictions on who they could marry. However, they were limited to doing jobs such as cleaning, housework, and other activities that were “feminine”. Women could not join a profession such as being a doctor, or artisan. ([|www.elizabethan-era.org])
 * Lower-Class Elizabethan Women**

Freedoms of Elizabethan Women

Women of the Elizabethan period enjoyed a greater degree of freedom than that of previous generations. These freedoms were different depending upon which class a woman came from. Overall there were very few freedoms. One freedom that all Elizabethan women had was the freedom to leave a dangerous situation. Despite, women having to follow their husbands without question, if a husband had viciously beaten his wife or threatened her life, then she would be able to leave without persecution. (www.elizabethi.org)

Women of the upper-class were in many cases educated. If an education was given to a woman it was done by a private tutor because women were not allowed to go to school which is the reason why mainly upper-class women were educated. ([|www.elizabethan-era.org])
 * Upper-Class Elizabethan Women**

Women of the lower-classes were generally not educated and they enjoyed very few freedoms. There was however, an exception to the limitations of lower-class women and what their jobs could be. This exception came in the form of small “schools” where a local woman, if she was educated even a little, could charge money for a sort of home-school where she would teach the children of the area the basics. ([|www.elizabethi.org])
 * Lower-Class Elizabethan Women**

Elizabethan Children

Elizabethan Children had no freedoms. Elizabethan children were also treated as mini-adults after the age of about three. All of the limitations and freedoms that Elizabethan children enjoyed were based upon social status.

Upper-class Elizabethan boys were raised expecting an inheritance, and did very little about learning a profession. They learned things about court etiquette and court life. If the child was a girl then she would be taught court etiquette, horse riding, music, dancing, and archery. After their seventh birthday most Elizabethan girls were sent to help the ladies of the court with dressing. ("The Children of Elizabethan")
 * Upper-Class Elizabethan Children**

The lower-class Elizabethan boys after the age of seven normally got an apprenticeship to some artisan. Lower-class Elizabethan girls, however because they were unable to enter into a profession, were commonly sent to some housewife to learn the skills of being a good housewife which included cooking, cleaning and child raising. ("The Children of Elizabethan")
 * Lower-Class Elizabethan Children**

Works Cited

aaaaa  Ashby, Ruth. // Cultures of the Past Elizabethan England //. Tarrytown: Benchmark Books, 1999. Print.

aaaaa The Children of Elizabethan England." // Elizabethan English Life // . N.p., n.d. Web.8 Oct. 2010. []

aaaaa "Elizabethan women." // Elizabeth //. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. []

aaaaa "Elizabethan Women." // Elizabethan Women //. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. []

aaaaa "The King-Like Queen: Elizabeth I and Her Strong Reign of England." // Angelfire //. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. []

aaaaa Singman, Jeffrey L. // Daily Life in Elizabethan Englan //. Westport: Greenwood Press,  1   995. Print.

aaaaa Unknown lady with two children. 1595. // Medieval & Renaissance Material Culture //. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. []

aaaaa Watson, John Dawson. // The quip //. 1862. // DMVI //. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. []