American Business History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Business History - Essay Example Professionalism ensued and caused the struggle to narrow down the social divide in terms of equality that was now prevailing against women. The expansion of this trading by reaching new geographical terrains due to the demand of the end products that was coupled by improved transportation links in the world, saw it advancement to the present global form of business corporations. In this recent stage of business evolution in America, women have started coming out of the lime light and are starting to be appreciated again in the business community. During the early times, before the eighteenth century in America, where the household economy was in effect, women and men worked hand in hand. They shared the same energy and responsibility in maintaining their business. This exhibited a high level of equity and equality in the performance of their tasks as they were not biased in terms of gender. However, women were like a sole property to the women once they entered marriage, and therefore had little command of decisions. The advent of industrialization forced women to accustom themselves with domestic ideals. Their importance became insignificant and thus, resistance became inevitable and many women who could not embrace this idea had a rough time in trying to adjust. In an exemplary situation in Illinois, it is noted that not all white women agreed to the domestic status that was being imposed on them due to the encroachment and establishment of separate spheres. Researchers have since established that quite a number of women who had established themselves in Illinois ignored the idea of civilizing the wilderness via domestic work. Many of these settlers had migrated from the rural South, where they had not seen themselves entangled in the wider economic 'metamorphosis' that provided the grounds for division of labor and the formation of divided spheres. (Wilson, Douglas, 1998) Importance of the Early American Woman in Business Women were very important to the business of the early America. Albeit their major role which was domestic, the early American women were serious business people let alone investors. It is noted for example in Boston that, about five of the eight major seed retailers where women during the early 1770s. married women of the time were describe as "deputy husbands" because they were left with the responsibility of taking care of their husbands' enterprises while they were away which was often some long time. The example Elizabeth Meredith of Philadelphia and her hard work in the financial sector of America reveals the enormous importance that was accorded to women that led to the growth of the present America. She was the wife to Jonathan Meredith, a tanner too by profession. Meredith controlled the tannery company's account books, negotiated for money for the company's running, collected debts, and contracted with workers, suppliers, and customers. (Branson, 1996) The early American women even if not married or widowed were very industrious in the financial field and many of them could be found in the heal care field, authors, tailors, cobblers, brewers among a multitude of other professions. This was because no legalities were imposed on them to restrict them to domestic work. However, certain aspects of their existence with respect to the ideology of the divided sphere caused a reduction in domestic routines to a new form of leisure and hence sought to diminish the economic and