Who Is Eleanor Of Aquitaine: The Most Powerful Women In Nineteenth Century Europe
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Born in 1122, Eleanor of Aquitaine would grow up to be one of the most powerful women in all of European history and influence the lives of others forever. All women, however, did not experience the same privileged upbringing and freedom Eleanor enjoyed. Most women during the 12th century lived as peasants who raised children, did domestic chores, and worked alongside their husbands in the fields. Eleanor of Aquitaine was different from other women of her time period by her rank, power, and her actions that shaped the course of history in Europe.
During the twelfth century, most women were peasants who did not receive an education and were taught to be obedient, submissive wives and mothers. Ultimately, the most important job for women of this time was to bear…show more content… While nobles like Eleanor married in their teens, most peasant women married in their mid twenties. Rarely, peasant women refused a marriage partner. Women had their babies at home with midwives to assist them. Childbirth was a risky matter and could be fatal. Caesarian sections were only performed if the mother was dead or dying. A woman could give birth to many children, but typically, only two of her children survived to adulthood. Besides providing children, twelfth century women also had domestic duties. Originally, all jobs ending in –ster were those of women such as a brewster, webster, or spinster. Women in the twelfth century were rarely considered a citizen of their community and had little power in a world ruled by men.
During Eleanor’s time, European men considered women the less powerful sex, and this gave women little freedom to do as they wished. The Bible, society, and town laws dictated women’s place. Since