Gender Roles in 19th Century America

The first of a series on gender, family, and society...

In the 19^th century the growth of industry was primarily in urban centers, in particularly the northeastern parts of the United States. Seven out of ten people in the United States lived in small towns with populations under 2500 or on farms in 1870[1]. Despite where you lived, be it rural or urban, the lives of men and women and men were guided by a set of social rules that only varied slightly by geography and class. The spheres of men and women were greatly divided both outside and within the home.

The idea of spate sphere emerged in Victorian society with the start of the industrial revolution.  Prior to the industrialization of the Western world men and women worked side-by-side and their workplace mostly revolved around the home. When industrialization arrived men, and some unmarried young women, left the home to work in the mills and factories. There were also social beliefs that women and men are naturally suitable for different social roles due to their biological and genetic makeup[2]. There social and biological beliefs carried over to the legal world. Legal prohibitions against woman’s suffrage, against women undertaking professions like medicine and law, and discouragement from obtaining higher education. 

Men and women each had their place in society. In most social situations the spheres of men and women were separate. There were lounges for men and lounges for women, gentlemen’s clubs, men’s work and women’s work, and all were divided by gender. Cultural and social attitudes built ideas of womanhood and manhood, proper womanhood and manhood, and that empowered and constrained women and men. 

The Cult of Domesticity

Middle-class American women in the 19^th century saw their behavior regulated by a social system cult of domesticity, which limited their sphere of influence to home and family. The Cult of Domesticity was designed for the wives and daughters of the men who made up America’s white, middle and upper class power structure[3]. The purpose of this code was to provide social regulations for middle-class families with newly acquired wealth and leisure. The roles of wives and mothers were to cultivate Piety, Purity, Submissiveness, and Domesticity in all their relations. Women had few options when it came to areas of work, for education, for voicing opinions, or for supporting reform. Women were left to work and socialize with other women with in the home and the separate social setting offered to them within society. 

known today as the

The cult of true womanhood was not simply fostered by men[4].  Many women promoted and obsessed over the sphere of women. Sarah Hall published magazines that detailed the proper behavior of ladies in society. Other prominent women promoted women’s roles and women to bring those qualities into the classroom to “instill the proper moral code into future generations”[5]. Women created a culture within the sphere where women wielded considerable power and influence. 

The 19^th Century Gentleman

Nineteenth-Century men however enjoyed much richer social life than of the women of the day. The male social identity and his masculinity consisted of home, work and all-male association. Nineteenth-century men tended to the public sphere of work, politics, and government. Working class men left the home to work and provide for their family.  He was the breadwinner and head of his family and household. The 19^th century man was very concerned with image and reputation. He depended upon his sons to carry on this image and reputation after he departed this world. The success of his sons was determined on upbringing and the son’s ability to become independent. Nineteenth-Century men depended on encouragement they received in their youth to succeed as adult males. 

Conclusion

The 19^th century Victorian American society was much different than our family and social lives are today. The biggest difference is that today men and women are no longer socially separated by gender in social situations. Women are free to seek entertainment in lounges, bars, nightclubs, or wherever they please. Gentlemen’s clubs[6] for the most part are a thing of the past in United States. Schools and higher education are open for women and employment opportunities in middle and upper management continues to grow. Many, if not most, women have left the home to seek employment, placing their children in the care of semiprofessional childcare workers. Many men are choosing to stay home and out of the workforce to take on the role of homemaker.

The concepts of masculinity, success, and morality have also changed. What was once considered masculine is rapidly becoming sexists or considered bulling by our modern society. Two boys fighting on a playground has become an arrestable offense, rather than boys being boys. The American way of opportunity and rising through the classes to become socially and financially successful is becoming more and more difficult. Wealth and opportunity is not being passed on to the lower class or obtained by them as they seem content to downtrodden and accept handouts from the state. It would seem that our moral compass is broken as rapes, assaults, and other crimes of violence appear on the news in rapid succession. The question to be asked is, can we learn something from 19^th century social behavior that can improve our society while maintain the advancements we have mad? In my opinion the answer is yes. 

                                                                                          R.P. Black

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[1] Hartman, Dorothy. "Conner Prairie Interactive History Park." Lives-Of-Women.

[2] Roy, Anupama (2005). Gendered citizenship: historical and conceptual explorations. New Delhi: Orient Longman. p. 80–81.

[3] MacKethan, Lucinda. " America in Class." The Cult of Domesticity.

[4] "The Emergence of "Women's Sphere"" Ushistory.org.

[5] Catherine Beecher (1800-1878)

[6] Gentleman’s Club refers to social clubs for men only.

The Sack Suit

Early Period Sack Suit

The Victorians had a way of dressing for different events and activities, and for different times of the day. According to The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette, the first rule of guidance for the 1860s Victorian gentleman in matters of clothing is, "Let the dress suit the occasion." In a gentleman's clothing, any attempt to be conspicuous is in excessively bad taste. Most Victorian men dressed simply with little flash, for to dress flashy was to be a Dandy.

In the late 1850s and 1860s for men to look like they slept in their rumpled clothes, with sloppy unbalanced ties, greasy stringy hair, and some number of vest buttons invariably undone. This general sloppiness can be seen in thousands of Civil War era images. 

That being said, depending on where you lived or live in the United States, you occupation, and social standing your mode of dress would vary. My focus has been on the emerging middle class and that of the West. The tradition of men wearing gloves when out and about was prevalent in the Northeast, but quickly faded out in the western parts of the country due to it impracticality.   

Sack Suit

The sack suit was the choice for the vast majority of American men. Its popularity was assured by the fact that it could be purchased, readymade, at prices working men could afford. The sack suit first appeared in France in the 1840s and its use quickly spread to England and America. This style of suit was extremely popular in the Eastern United States and was originally intended for extremely informal occasions, sack coats soon became working and business wear for skilled workers and clerks across America. This type of coat is not called a “Sack Coat” because it fits loose and baggy like a sack. Sack, comes from the French sacque, and refers to the way the back of the jacket is cut. A “sack cut.” means the back is formed of two pieces only, cut relatively straight down, instead of being made up of four curved pieces.

The good number of American men did not even wear sack suits for everyday attire. Farmers, laborers, ranchers, factory workers and such usually wore a outfit of sturdy wool, corduroy or denim trousers, a wool flannel, linen or cotton pull over shirt, a hat and sturdy shoes. Suspenders were commonly worn, though they were unpopular with men who had to bend or squat a lot, like sailors, cowboys or miners. Trousers did not have belt loops until the 20th Century. Working men also frequently made use of second hand or worn out pieces of sack, frock or morning suits. Vests were also frequently worn. 

Wearing a Sack Suit

R.P. Black in the field

Unlike today were men tend to wear matching parts of their suits, the American Victorians for the most part did not. Men of the 19^th century might wear a checked shirt, a blue wool sack coat, a tan wool or cotton vest, and brown cotton ducking trousers along with a black hat and shoes. It can even be more garish than that if plaids, windowpane, and tweed items are incorporated. A good example of this is what I am wearing today; green/tan plaid shirt, light brown vest with black stripes, tan ducking trousers, a brown sack coat, black boots, and a pecan hat. My outfit matches more closely than what a working man might have worn in the 19^th century.

Sack suit coats were most commonly worn open or with only the top button buttoned and permitted for almost any stile of hat to be worn with it. Different types of hats were prevalent throughout the period. At its first appearance in America a sack suit was often worn with a top hat, but by the 1870s bowler and derby hats became the norm. 

The picture (above right) shows myself at camp in a sack suit with cavalry boots and a Wadell hat by River Junction Trading Co.. This demonstrates the versatility of the Sack suit. Although I am in a suit I am wearing riding boots and in the field, which means that I have some hard work ahead of me. There will be wood chopping, foraging, fire starting, cooking, and other field activities that can be accomplished while wearing a sack suit. However you would most likely take off your coat for some of them.

Where to Buy

River Junction Trading Company has excellent quality suits, shirts, and hats for the gentleman. However most are made to order and are of high quality, which is reflected in the price. Wild West Mercantile caries several different brands of sack suits including Wah Maker, Scully RangeWear, and Frontier Classics that are in off the rack sizes. You will have to buy them by the pieces as they do not have complete suits as an option.

There are other makers of 19^th century sack suits including Walton and Taylor, Corner Clothiers, as well as many other Civil War reenactment sutlers. The ones I have listed are reputable, while other may or may not be. Do your own research before you make a purchase.

R.P. Black