Republican Motherhood Blog

Republican Motherhood Blog

1. The Republican Mothers have the responsibility to raise their sons to be the next generation of men. During the Revolutionary War, the soldiers fighting for the american side fought to defend the lives of the American people. Over time this could be forgotten as new children are born. The role of the Republican Mother was to inform her sons about those soldiers that fought in the Revolutionary war and the values that they defended. (Doc. C)

2. The consequences were that the women were more confined to the home because it was now her duty to god and nature, and also her country to stay home. If she were to neglect these duties then she is disobeying god and nature. (Doc. A)

3. Republican Mothers gained much more respect due to the fact that they could teach their children to become "enlightened legislatures." Because they were basically the head of the home, and the home was considered the place where people are nurtured and blossom, they were valued very much (Doc. A). Women also had to be educated because they were the protectors of their husbands property (Doc. C)

Mary Gibson Tilghman and her sons by Charles Willson Peale (1789) 
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CvDCiEFbNy8/SdF_skxoNlI/AAAAAAAAGvY/hZYogK5XRMg/s400/1789+Charles+Willson+Peale+1741-1827+Mary+Gibson+(Mrs.+Richard+Tilghman)+%26+sons.+Maryland+Historical+Society..jpg 

1. The setting of this picture is the home. This picture is of Mary Gibson Tilghman, a Republican mother, and her sons. It shows how she is very present in her sons lives.

2. Mary Gibson Tilghman serves as the center of this painting because it is trying to emphasis on her Republican Motherhood. The women looks very happy and strong willed, which women before republican motherhood would not look that way. She represents a republican as opposed to a democrat because of how beautifully messy she looks instead of put together like an aristocrat would look. The clothes she is wearing also suggest that she is a republican and not an aristocrat. She also looks very content and close to her sons which again suggest her Republican motherhood.

3. Her sons exhibit values of that close relationship with their mother. They also exhibit innocence and content.

4. The significance of Mrs. Tilghman's arm is that she is actually touching her children. This shows she is showing affection to them, which wasn't see very often back then.