Folkway #5 - Gender

So, what did the pioneers expect of each gender?

In very, very broad terms, men were expected to be warriors, and women were expected to be workers.  But, gender roles really were not as sharply divided on the Central Florida frontier as they were in more settled regions of the country. 

Both men and women toiled on area farm land and in the groves.  Both genders tended livestock.  Male and female pioneers did the butchering and dressing of meat.  And, everyone helped cut firewood.

Basically, whoever was available and most suited to "get the job done" would do it.

Still, there were very clear-cut ideas of masculinity and femininity when it came to manners, speech, dress, decorum, and status.

Men were expected to be bold, even loud.  They were expected to "wear the pants in the family," and to wear a suitable hat in public.  Respect was demanded and commanded in dealing with subordinates, and deference was only begrudgingly given to those in positions of authority.

Women aspired to be ladies and to be the heart and soul of their families.  When not laboring alongside their menfolk, they were expected to don a freshly-cleaned full-length dress.  They took no active role in political or public life beyond their church congregations.

In public, the two genders moved in distinctly separate circles.  Male bonding centered on hunting and fishing.  Women tended to gather for sewing or quilting circles.

Even when collective action was taken, as in the case of a barn raising, the genders worked in separate teams based on task.  The construction of Pine Castle's venerable Union Church in 1900 is a classic example.  The all-female Christian Workers Society oversaw all the fundraising.  But, when it was time to actually build the church, the millwork and carpentry was left entirely to the menfolk and the women focused on keeping them hydrated and nourished.

To learn more about Florida's frontier folkways, come to Pioneer Days on February 21st and 22nd at Cypress Grove Park, 290 West Holden Avenue, Orlando, FL 32809.  Complete details may be found at www.pinecastlepioneerdays.org.