Women's Independence on the Trail

One would think that men and women wrote of completely different subjects in their pioneer journals, wouldn't you? Men would write of hunting, dangers, fights, travel progress, the health of the livestock...while women would write of family matters and values, the beauty of the countryside, the sicknesses and things of a household nature.  In actuality, a great many journals of both men and women were interchangeable with no distinctions to which sex wrote which journal!

Riding in the same wagons, side by side, women did not always write about the call to free land or see the success of the journey.  They were full of reservations, oppositions and doubt.  For example one woman wrote of Indians as "helpful guides" and sellers of necessary services, far more so than of enemies.  Yes, they feared them, but they also noted often that their husbands were lousy buffalo hunters - settling for trading shirts for dried salmon or coming back entirely empty handed instead.  Women didn't need to prove their bravery or prowess, so they wrote of how Indians became a part of daily trail life.  An entirely different perspective from the male version.

Commonplace in the life of the 1800s pioneer wife were the long absences of their men for weeks and months at a time.  Back home, women were expected to serve as the heads of households, as well as the farm, mill or store owner.  So on the trail, a widowed woman was expected to continue alone and file her own claim alone.   No widow ever placed her wagon or her family under the protection of another family.

Can't wait to get started on the trip, can you?

Next time...illness and diseases on the trail.
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Today in Pioneer History:  On May 20, 1873,  Levi Strauss secures the necessary patents for canvas pants with copper rivets to reinforce the stress points, The Blue Jean was born!