Republican Womanhood: Then and Now

Abstract

This paper explores the development of the conception of the republican mother within Enlightenment thought and the Classical Liberal tradition, and how conceptions of the appropriate relationship for women to the state developed in pre-and post-revolutionary America. It then examines the role women have played in political parties and participation in the United States up through the 20th century and today. Many of the same ideas about appropriate public and private activities for the sexes remain, particularly those surrounding family, children, and running for or serving in office. Contemporary women in politics face similar criticisms and backlash about their appearance and femininity as their earlier counterparts, while women themselves have attempted to fuse the public and private innovative ways. To that end, the paper asks whether the basic idea of the republican woman has changed significantly by the 21st century. How much of this same hostility are women in politics subjected to today? Do women in the United States see their relationship to the state as equal to men's, or as something separate and different? Does one of the major political parties represent that view more than the other?