Do We Sell Historical Women Short?

Did historical women really have less power and influence than we do today?

While this is not a post to argue that women were not ever oppressed, what it is, is a post to perhaps just open eyes to the fact that these people would have thought our modern ways foreign, and just because their culture did not look like ours, it does not mean that these women held any less power.

Elizabeth II

When I think about women in history, one of the things that I wonder about most is what those women would make of modern day women. On the surface, I believe many of us think “they would be proud, we have come so far.” And yes, there are so many good things that women’s rights have brought us in modern day society, it of course is true. But, it is through that lens that I think we actually can sell women of the past short. See, women in the past wielded their power and influence differently and they would not have had a concept of “women’s rights” as we do today. If you go back far enough, equal pay and the right to vote just wouldn’t have been a concept that met them in their daily lives. A pop culture example of this would be for those who have seen Downton Abby. Think about when the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) is shocked by her granddaughter Lady Sybil wanting to get involved in politics. The Dowager Countess in the show did not feel oppressed in any way, but what she felt was just a sort of disbelief that her granddaughter would want to get involved, as many modern women started to do during the 20th century. Neither was wrong, they were just from different poles on this subject. What we have to remember is that our ancestors and people in history had different cultures and customs than we do today.

Elizabeth Bowes Lyon who was Duchess of York, Queen Consort and Queen Mother

When we look at women (albeit mostly upper class women who we have records of) we see that they often were able to make as much change as men, and leave indelible marks on the world. Starting at the very top, we think of some of the most powerful monarchs in British History, many of which were actually queens. From Elizabeth I, to Queen Anne, to Victoria, and most recently to Elizabeth II, these queens regnant were arguably the most notable and accomplished of almost any British Monarchs. And, for that matter, queens that did not hold the sovereign power, but were consorts also held an astonishing amount of influence. Queen Charlotte was an INCREDIBLY influential queen, particularly when it came to medical advancements and her support of science. She was a very big proponent of the smallpox vaccine amongst other things. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother was called “The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe” by Hitler because he understood the amount of influence she wielded through even the smallest of actions. These women were the ultimate influencers before it was a profession.

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

And before them, think of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. She was amongst other things, the Keeper of the Privy Purse to Queen Anne and held a tremendous amount of influence in her time. Before Sarah, Bess of Hardwick, who came from relative obscurity and worked her way up to becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential women in all of England. Not only was Bess politically influential, she was also a great builder as the builder of the original Chatsworth as well as the beautiful Harwick Hall and more. Before Bess, Elizabeth of York helped legitimize the Tudor Dynasty. Many of the Yorkest supporters came around because they supported Elizabeth, not her husband. Look even further back to Roman control of Brittania and you will find a Queen named Boudica who led an uprising against the Romans killing tens of thousands of their men.

Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsberry

This small collection of women represent a much larger group of women all through history that have held power in different ways. Some worked their way into it, some were born with it, some married it and ended up with more influence than their husbands. What is even more amazing is that most of these women held this influence while also bearing children, running their homes, and extending their reach even further through arranging marriages for their family members. A feminine strength is being able to make influence an art. And while women in the past did not have the “equal rights” we might think of today, what they did have was the ability to wield influence in powerful and lasting ways. When we look back on these women through our modern day lens, we must be careful not to look down on them, and moreover, we must ask ourselves what they might think of us today? While this is not a post to argue that women were not ever oppressed, what it is, is a post to perhaps just open eyes to the fact that these people would have thought our modern ways foreign, and just because their culture did not look like ours, it does not mean that these women held any less power.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject! Be sure to comment down below!

Until Next Time,

McKenzie

A very exciting PS!

Starting NEXT WEEK I will start offering PAID Mostly British History Content. My aim is to always get people talking about and interested in history, so I will still have at least 2 free posts per month. On top of those, paid subscribers will also get 2-3 posts per month, as well as regular discussions. These posts will include much more in-depth biographies, and analysis of historical figures, letters, findings, and more. I will also be offering regular discussions for paid subscribers and the entire backlog of my work to date. What will we be diving into first? Letters from Edward VIII to my very favorite of his mistresses, Freda Dudley Ward.

Here is a discount link if you choose to dive a little deeper! Good through 10/31!