Women and work

I started with the title of the book What Can Woman Do? If you read the article put out by Working The Flame “list and 19th-century jobs” found on Google, you will see the type of work that was available to women and men in the early 19th century and continued to expand as new industry developed. Another article found on Google is “Women in the workforce: 1860” by Fred Glass October 7, 1915; it is about an Irish immigrant who became San Francisco’s first female teacher. Kate Kennedy came from Ireland, who worked long enough to gain an education and become a teacher and administrator. The 19th century was a time of transition that brought people from the rural life to an industrial life with all its problems.

A quick search on Google about jobs the 1800s brings up a number of sites. The ones below are a couple.

       What were jobs in the 1800s in Canada?

In the early 19th century, most Canadians worked as farmers, fishers, and craft workers. These activities were on a small scale; often, there was little differentiation between one’s work and home life. Most people resided on farms or in small villages.

What were the most common jobs in the 1890s?

Still, their options were limited, also, as the majority performed labor or service work. Common occupations for men were janitors, servants, and waiters. Women were housekeepers, servants, laundresses, and waitresses.

People also ask

What jobs were there in the 1800s in America? Working the Flame

• Blacksmith. Blacksmiths worked iron into useful tools and hardware. …Carpenter. Both rural and urban areas benefitted from the work of carpenters as new houses and commercial buildings were constructed. Wagonmaker. …  Saloon Keeper. … Tailor. …Stonemason. …Cobbler. ..Physician.

“What Can a Woman Do; or, her position in the Business and Literary World” by Mrs. M. L. Rayne

F. B. Dickerson and Co. Publishers St. Louis, MO. 1895

Women in the workforce: the 1860s  by Fred Glass  October 7, 2015

This installment of the California labor history series is excerpted from the newly released book From Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement by California Federation of Teachers Communications Director Fred Glass. Available for purchase via the University of California Press website.