Page 82 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915

CHAPTE R Two

Again, gender was a determining f a ctor in how one viewed
women's work. Some nineteenth-century European women, who had
themselves chosen to become f r ontierswomen, presented another per­
spective. A Norwegian woman, Elisabeth Koren, fe lt that fr ontiers­
women did nothing but cook, thus leaving them little time f o r other
chores, much less f o r leisure.92 Another Norwegian settler, Gro
Svendsen, pointed out that although f r ontierswomen were supposed to
have much f r ee time, she had not met any who actually thought so.93
And the English settler Rebecca Burlend said that she worked in the
fields because her husband was unable to find a hired hand.94
These comments by women are probably more reliable than those
of male travelers. The experience of these European f e male settlers
demonstrated that f r ontierswomen worked long and hard hours within
their homes and labored in the fields whenever necessary. Other
accounts indicate that women also willingly helped with men's tradi­
tional tasks and responsibilities. For example, even male visitors
remarked on women's ability to take up arms. Busch remarked that in
the early years of settlement "everyone was a soldier, and even the
women knew how to handle a rifle."95 Other reporters mentioned
f e male entrepreneurs, judges, journalists, publishers, and university
professors.96
Obviously, western women, who were not as constricted as
European women, achieved some latitude in their roles.97 This was not
good news to male European visitors, who responded to liberated west­
ern women with shock, puzzlement, and dismay. Unsurprisingly, most
appeared more comfortable with western women who used their tal­
ents in accepted f e male ways, particularly as civilizing fo rces in the
American W e st. These men had heard so much about f e male morality
and civilizing power that they applauded women who exercised their
gendered talents. British visitors were especially delighted that many
f r ontierswomen seemingly exerted a stabilizing f o rce in the W e st.98
According to one, women were second only to churches in helping to
refine the new society.99 Another was enthusiastic in his description of
women's salutary influence on the f r ontier: "A lady is a power in this
country. From the day when a silk dress and lace shawl were seen on
Main Street, that thoroughfare became passably clean and quiet; oaths

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