| The role of women in colonial Latin America | | | | Iberian women, most indigenous and mestiza |
| was very much determined by what racial group | | | | women were forced to work in order to survive |
| and social class they were born into. In her | | | | and pay their tribute tax. Women who appeared |
| book, The Women of Colonial Latin America, | | | | in public frequently were suspected of being |
| Susan Migden Socolow identifies additional | | | | immoral and lacking in honor. Employment |
| factors that caused differences in women's | | | | outside the home was most usually an |
| lives. These other factors include | | | | extension of female duties inside the home; |
| "demography, life cause, spatial variations, | | | | that is, the women worked as domestic |
| local economy, norm and reality, and change | | | | servants, midwifes, "or self-employed |
| over time" (Socolow 1).Socolow contends that | | | | washerwomen, candlemakers, laundresses, |
| among these additional variables, demography | | | | cleaning women, seamstresses, weavers, |
| was the most important. This is due to the | | | | embroiderers, nurses, and cooks" (Socolow |
| fact that the "ratio of men to women could | | | | 119).Although indigenous women were exploited |
| enhance or limit women's choices" (Socolow | | | | sexually and economically, they did possess |
| 2). The experiences of women also changed as | | | | some legal rights against abuse, which were |
| they grew older and moved into different | | | | denied to enslaved women, i.e. African women. |
| roles in life, e.g. from childhood to | | | | These women were considered property and, as |
| marriage to widowhood. The economy of the | | | | such, had "even less power to resist the |
| area where the women lived also had an effect | | | | sexual advances of their masters than did |
| on them, since women in a more prosperous | | | | Indian women" (Socolow 134). Although there |
| area (especially elite women) lived more | | | | were laws to protect slaves from abuse, in |
| comfortably than their counterparts in less | | | | the few instances where a slave woman filed a |
| affluent areas. Socolow argues that these | | | | complaint, it was usually dismissed because |
| women did not always follow the social ideal | | | | the courts "gave precedence to a white man's |
| of women imposed by the patriarchal society, | | | | testimony" (Socolow 134).However, enslaved |
| and of course there were different ideals for | | | | women did enjoy some rights and privileges. |
| each race and class of women. And lastly, | | | | In many circumstances, they were allowed to |
| these ideals of women, in some instances, | | | | sell their labor in the towns and keep some |
| changed over time.The social ideal for | | | | of their earnings for themselves. This |
| Iberian women, in the Old World and the New, | | | | allowed them the opportunity to save money to |
| was strongly influenced by the Islamic | | | | buy their freedom. Other slave women could |
| tradition, which was to keep the females | | | | achieve manumission by forming sexual |
| cloistered in the home. Female virginity at | | | | liaisons with their owners. Because of these |
| the time of marriage also had an effect on | | | | relationships, many enslaved women were the |
| the family's honor and was strictly | | | | heads of the households, since paternity for |
| monitored. This was especially true of the | | | | the mulatto offspring was rarely |
| women in the Spanish elite, although many | | | | acknowledged. Slave women were encouraged to |
| women did find ways to evade their chaperones | | | | marry by the Spanish crown and the Catholic |
| to meet their lovers, as evidenced by the | | | | Church, although most of their white owners |
| number of abandoned Spanish children. This | | | | opposed this since it tended to make selling |
| cloistering of Iberian women was both a | | | | the slave more difficult. However, some |
| blessing and curse; while they did not have | | | | slaves did marry but these were usually the |
| freedom to move around as the lower class | | | | slaves of "persons with higher social status" |
| women did, they did escape the social stigma | | | | (Socolow 135).The convents in Latin America |
| attached to women who did appear on the | | | | offered some freedoms for Spanish women |
| streets. Also these Iberian women were not | | | | during the colonial times. Many elite women |
| expected to work, at least not outside the | | | | whose parents did not want to or could not |
| home. Elite women did no work at all, other | | | | provide a dowry for her were encouraged to |
| than supervising the work of the household | | | | become a nun. At this time, prospective nuns |
| servants and slaves. Iberian women also | | | | had to be white and have "purity of blood" |
| benefited from laws such as marriage and | | | | (Socolow 94). The calced convents required a |
| inheritance laws that were not extended to | | | | dowry be given to the convent to support the |
| the other racial groups and social | | | | woman; poor Spanish women were "given special |
| classes.The role of women in pre-conquest | | | | licenses to beg for alms in order to amass |
| Latin America varied according to the ethnic | | | | the requisite white-veil dowry" (Socolow |
| group she belonged to, but many native | | | | 96).The convent was structured |
| societies "controlled female sexuality in | | | | hierarchically, consisting of black-veil nuns |
| ways strikingly similar to the Spanish" | | | | (who were the elite women) and white-veil |
| (Socolow 19). Unlike Spanish inheritance and | | | | nuns. The discalced convents did not require |
| property laws, "generally land was held only | | | | dowries, but did ask for a "yearly income to |
| by men" but women could own movable property | | | | support the nun" (Socolow 97). The calced |
| (Socolow 21). Also like the Spanish, | | | | convents allowed nuns with property to manage |
| indigenous peoples had a strict sexual | | | | their holdings also, which was usually not |
| division of labor, although their views of | | | | allowed in the outside community. Nuns were |
| what was women's and men's labor differed | | | | allowed to have slaves and servants in the |
| from Spaniards, and even from region to | | | | convents with them. The convents also had |
| region.After the arrival of the Spaniards, | | | | educational opportunities for women that they |
| the role of indigenous women changed | | | | were not encouraged to pursue in the colonial |
| dramatically. The indigenous elite women | | | | society. The convents became a refuge for |
| became attractive marriage candidates to | | | | women and girls "in need of protection, |
| non-elite Spanish men, because these women | | | | shelter, and support regardless of their |
| brought increased social status and wealth to | | | | marital state" (Socolow 103). In later times, |
| the marriage. Elite Spanish men (the ones | | | | convents designed for other races and classes |
| that participated in the conquest) took | | | | were opened in Latin America, despite the |
| indigenous elite women as concubines, but | | | | opposition of the elite Spanish nuns.Many |
| usually did not marry them. Non-elite women | | | | changes occurred during these women's lives, |
| had a more difficult time as they were abused | | | | but the level of change was very closely |
| sexually and economically by the Spanish | | | | determined by what race and class she |
| conquerors.Mestiza women (those born from | | | | belonged to. During the Enlightenment period |
| Spanish-Indian unions) also were potential | | | | in Europe, the education of women became more |
| marriage partners, especially those "who | | | | popularized. However in colonial Latin |
| inherited from their conquistador fathers" | | | | America, this education was confined to elite |
| (Socolow 37). Socolow contends that the | | | | women and only involved education in domestic |
| mestizas' "wealth and perceived social status | | | | responsibilities with just enough reading and |
| overcame any possible problems associated | | | | writing so that they could understand their |
| with legitimacy and race" (Socolow 37). Many | | | | religious studies. The lower classes remained |
| poor mestizas became concubines to the | | | | largely illiterate.Socolow, Susan Migden. The |
| Spaniards, until Iberian women became | | | | Women of Colonial Latin America. Cambridge |
| numerous in Latin America. As Latin America | | | | University Press, 2000.Mary Arnold is an |
| became more settled, the mestiza women found | | | | author on which is a site for Creative |
| "their acceptance into Spanish society | | | | Writers. |
| increasingly difficult" (Socolow 38).Unlike | | | | |