Olga Aguilar

Hist. 301
03/18/14

The Cult of Domesticity

The cult of domesticity was a value system that took place in the 18th- 19th century and it
introduced new ideas to womens role in society. The cult of domesticity influenced the value
system at that time, as well as the art, the writings, the music and ideology overall. Three pieces
of literature that were influence by the cult of domesticity were Slavery and Sex by Marry
Boykin Chesnut, Memoir on Slavery by William Harper and Aint I A Woman? by Sojourner
Truth.
According to Marli F. Weiner, the Cult of Domesticity is an ideology developed in the
late 18th century. Due to industrialization and urbanization, men went away from their farms and
into factories and industries. At the same time, women no longer needed to spin thread, weave
clothes, make candles, or produce soap. Women were no longer producers but consumers. In
order to justify keeping women at home and to enhance the status of women, the cult of
domesticity was created. The cult of domesticity stated that men worked in a heartless world so it
was the duty of wives to create a haven for their husbands to return to after working in the dirtyevil work place. The cult of domesticity was pleasing to women because it suggested that women
were morally superior to men; this not only created a positive self-esteem in women but it also
suggested that women were capable of influencing the world at large, including her husband and
children. Under the cult of domesticity women were expected to be devoted, selfless, pious,
laborious, patient, loving and kind. However, women were also expected to be passionless and
yielding to their husbands authority.
Mary Boykin Chesnut on Slavery and Sex is greatly influenced by the cult of
domesticity. The cult of domesticity says that white women must be passionless and tells women
that their husbands are only men. As a result of passionless wives, men have sex with their

Olga Aguilar
Hist. 301
03/18/14

slaves. Even though Chesnut dislikes that men live all in one house with their wives and
concubines she does not blame the men, instead she says, alas for men! No worse than men
every where. Nor does Chesnut blame the cult of domesticity for requiring white women to be
passionless; instead she blames the slaves who she calls the social evil. Another goal of the cult
of domesticity was to cultivate bonds among women. When analyzing Mary Boykin Chesnut on
Slavery and Sex it can be determined that this goal was definitely meet. In her essay, Chesnut
declares that all her girl friends share the same troubles and life stories. Chesnut exclaims,
Thank God for my country womenmy country women are as pure as angels. Undoubtedly,
Mary Boykin Chesnut on Slavery and Sex was influence by the cult of domesticity.
A second source influenced by the cult of domesticity was Memoire on Slavery by
William Harper. William Harper used the cult of domesticity to justify slavery in the south.
Harper believes that slavery is an institution that is good and necessary in order to meet the cult
of domesticity guidelines. According to the cult of domesticity white women are expected to be
pure and abstain from having too much sex in order to be energetic. Harper claims that thanks to
slavery there is no prostitution of white women because men can fulfill their sexual necessities
with slaves. Harper also says that thanks to slavery there is no divorce in the south because men
view slaves as sex objects but nothing else. Whereas if men had sex with white prostitutes,
divorce would take place because the female of his own race offers greater allurements he said.
Harper insinuates that thanks to slavery white women remained pure and become the ideal
women that the cult of domesticity demanded. In addition, the cult of domesticity urged white
women to extend their benevolence toward slaves. This ideology is present in Memoir on
Slavery when Harper says that slave women have not impaired her means of support but
gained. Harper also says that a slave offspring is not a burden, but an acquisition to her owner;

Olga Aguilar
Hist. 301
03/18/14

his support is provided for, and he is brought up to usefulness. It is clear that white southerners
arrange domestic ideology and use it to their benefit.
The cult of domesticity proposed intellectual development and education for women. Yet,
domesticity was defined in exclusively white terms and it certainly did not consider the
possibility of any similarities among white and slave women. Sojourner Truth goes against these
teachings and argues that all women are equal in Aint I A Woman? For this reason Truth
demands to be treated equally to white women, womin need to be helped into carriages, and
lifted ober ditchesNobody eber helps me into carriagesAnd ant I a woman? speaks Truth.
Truth doesnt only state that all women are equal to one another but she declares that women are
equal to men, I have ploughed, and planted... I could work as much and eat as much as a man
she argues. Yet, Truth goes beyond and disputes that women are not only equal but superior to
men because Christ came from God and a woman. Such ideology had already being suggested by
the cult of domesticity when it said that women were morally superior to men. But Truth says
that women are not only morally superior but superior overall, to men. With this rationale Truth
requests for womens rights.
After analyzing history it can be concluded that the cult of domesticity did accomplish its
goals. The cult of domesticity influenced not only ideology in the eighteenth century, it
influence ideology in general. In the present time there are people who still believe that women
should stay at home to take care of children and create a haven for the husband.

Olga Aguilar
Hist. 301
03/18/14

Works Cited

Chesnut, B., Mary. (1861). Mary Boykin Chesnut on Slavery and Sex. The Private
Mary Chesnut, Oxford University Press. pp. 21, 42, 43.

Harper, William. (1853). Memoir on Slavery. Pro-Slavery Argument. pp. 41, 42-45.

Truth, Sojourner. (1881). Aint I A Woman?. The History of Woman Suffrage. 1: pp.
115-117.

Weiner F., Marli. (1998). Domestic Ideology in the South. Plantation Women in South
Carolina, pp. 53-57, 61-62, 64-65, 68-71.