AP European History DBQ- Women

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the embryonic stage of women’s quest for intellectual and social parity with men. The evolution of women’s fight for equal opportunities was bogged down by a long history of stereotyping and condescension. Women were weaker physically, bore children and nurtured them. The economics and culture of Europe at this time was strongly influenced by religion and resulted in prejudice against women. The dominating religions of Europe in …

…era kept many women from breaking away from their traditional roles. While most people in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries retained stereotypical beliefs on women, a growing number of intellectuals tried to loosen these traditional values by allowing them to study science. Science was an opening for women to use observation and deduction, skills acquired from everyday living and curiosity, to try and clear some misconceptions that most of society had about them.