1492 – 1734 Early Encounters English Colonies

1. The English common law practice of coverture limited the legal and economic opportunities of married women in the English colonies.

2. English colonial courts actively enforced gender roles and women’s subordination.

3. The knowledge enslaved women brought to the English colonies was critical to the economic success of the colonies.

4. Native women played a proactive role in tribal responses to English colonization.

5. In spite of their legal and cultural limitations, English women in the colonies made contributions to the Enlightenment.