Expert: Daniel Hogan - 9/7/2007

Question
Throughout much of the 19th century, what were middle class American women confined by culture, ideology that dictated that they did what?

Answer
Your question is worded very vaguely, so I have to make the best guess at to what it is you are referring to. I believe your really asking what cultural aspects of 19th century America dictated women's place in society.
If so here is my answer.
It really depends what part of America you are referring to. There were two parts and cultures to the US back then, the Eastern and the Western. The Western meaning the frontier/CA/and western territories.
Basically, women were, in public, suppose to act a certain way, that is, to be the home maker, the child rearer, and especially not to get involved in subjects that were for men such as politics.
For the most part, women were fine with this set up as long as they got what they wanted which was to be taken care of financially and socially with the available comforts of what modern technology was available then. This worked fine in the East where goods and civilization were available.
It was a far different story in the West. Again the ideal was for women to be subservient to men, but in doing so they did not receive their compensation due to the harshness, remoteness, etc of frontier life. Therefore, in order for men to entice women to leave their comfortable Eastern life and move West, they had to be given other compensations.
These compensations included what would have been considered very liberal and scandalous rights, including the right to vote in local elections, setting up schools and churches, and other "civilizing" aspects that would not have been tolerated by men unless they were desperate for women.
As I mentioned before, this would have been in pubic where these cultural traditions would have been played. In the privacy of the home, the women ruled the house.
I hope this helps. Thanks for using AllExperts.com.