The status of women in colonial North America has been well studied and describe d and can be briefly summarized. Throughout the colonial period there was a mark ed shortage of women, which varied with the regions and was always greatest in t he frontier areas. This favorable ratio enhanced women’s status and position and allowed them to pursue different careers. The Puritans, the religious sect that dominated the early British colonies in North America, regarded idleness as a s in, and believed that life in an underdeveloped country made it absolutely neces sary that each member of the community perform an economic function. Thus work f or women, married or single, was not only approved, it was regarded as a civic duty. Puritan town councils expected widows and unattached women to be selfsupp orting and for a long time provided needy spinsters with parcels of land. There was no social sanction against married women working; on the contrary, wives wer e expected to help their husbands in their trade and wo