The Role of men and women

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY is a man's world. Women don't participate in town meetings and are excluded from decision making in the church. Puritan ministers further MALE SUPREMACY in their writings and sermons. They preach that the soul has two parts, the immortal masculine half, and the mortal feminine half.
In the south since most indentured servants are male, there are far fewer women in the colonial South. In the Chesapeake, men entered the colony at a rate of seven to one. From one perspective, this increased women's power. They are highly sought after by the overwhelming number of eager men. The high death rate in the region result in a typical marriage being dissolved by death within seven years. Consequently there is a good deal of remarriage, and a complex web of half-brothers and half-sisters evolved. Women need to administer the property in the absence of the male. Consequently many developed managerial skills. However, being a minority had its downside. Like in New England, women are completely excluded from the political process. Female slaves and indentured servants are often the victims of aggressive male masters.