Republican Motherhood

Definition

Republican Motherhood is an 18th-century term for an attitude toward women's roles present in the emerging United States before, during, and after the American Revolution. It centered around the belief that women should raise their sons to uphold ideals of republicanism, making them perfect citizens.

Related terms

Civic Virtue: The cultivation of habits important for the success of community services such as public participation in politics.

American Revolution: The war fought from 1775-1783 through which 13 British colonies won political independence to become the United States.

Cult of Domesticity: A prevailing value system among the upper and middle classes during the 19th Century in the United States and Great Britain which emphasized new standards for womanhood.