WOMEN OF THE OLD WEST

When we mention the old west, most people think of masculine cowboys, and women are rarely talked about. Today we’re looking at the life of women in the old west. 

The role of women in the wild west, or in 19th century America was mainly as housewives. Women were rarely considered part of the labor force and when they were, they usually did jobs that required less physical force such as working as maids in houses of the wealthy. 

It was hard for a woman to provide for herself in the 19th century. The only jobs that a woman could take and that paid well was a madam who owned a saloon, but this was mainly for wealthy women. Young girls who had to provide for themselves often became outlaws or in many cases prostitutes. 

This was mainly before the late 19th century when feminism started having an actual impact on society in the west. Although feminism started as early as 1848 in America. 

Some women practiced activities that were seen as more “manly” such as cowgirls and female outlaws. They were seen as odd and usually weren’t taken seriously.