This diary exemplifies the changing gender roles in the nineteenth century. Historically, colonists believed women were the only one’s capable of aiding during labor. These women were mothers themselves, possibly aiding in the delivery of other family member’s children. Colonist perceived the job as important because children labor was often necessary for the survival of the family. By nineteenth century, men begin to take over this once coveted female occupation. Men believed that this job should be linked to education and professionalization which women were not capable. This particular diary is interesting because it occurs during the debate on whether or not midwifery should be a male or female occupation. The author is a male physician. Therefore, the reader should be altered that his argument is skewed to support his career and financial wellbeing. His opinion does not reflect that of all men; one could imagine a husband standing up for his wife who is bringing is substantial income by serving as a midwife. More importantly, his diary does not discuss the counterargument based upon morality, sympathy, and know-how needed in the birthing process which woman midwifes possess.

While women might be more apt to sympathize with women in labor, they were not more apt to follow academic pursuits. Women's history historian, Judy Litoff, describes the popular view of women's education in the nineteenth century, "it was generally believed that women were intellectually inferior to men and therefore incapable of understanding and performing the obstetrical techniques" (5). Many colonists believed that academic pursuits would shock the female's nervous system which was connected to her uterus leaving her infertile.

Judy Barrett Litoff, "The Midwife throughout History," Journal of Nurse-Midwifery 27, no. 6 (1982): 5-7, accessed September 16, 2013, doi:10.1016/0091-2182(82)90085-4.

As early as 1649, obstetrics and other medical practices were undergoing reform referred to as the "infant welfare movement". By the mid-eighteenth century, young American colonists were sent to England in order to specialize in midwifery. Famous British physicians, such as William Smellie and Charles White, travelled through the colonies giving lectures on the latest childbirth techniques. The first Amercian cesarean section was performed in Virginia by a man-midwife in the late eighteenth century.

Claude Edwin Heaton, "Obstetrics in Colonial America," The American Journal of Surgery 45, no. 3 (1939): 607-9, accessed September 15, 2013, doi:10.1016/S0002-9610(39)90495-2.

There were many women who became famous midwives in colonial America, including Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643), Mrs Wiat (d. 1705), Elizabeth Philips (1685-1761), and Ruth Barnaby (1664-1765). Most of these women were held in high esteem by fellow colonists. Ann Eliot, a midwife in Massachusetts in 1687’ has a tombstone which reads "honored for the great service she hath done" (Heaton 606).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hutchinson, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwifery_in_the_United_States, & Claude Edwin Heaton, "Obstetrics in Colonial America," The American Journal of Surgery 45, no. 3 (1939): 606, accessed September 15, 2013, doi:10.1016/S0002-9610(39)90495-2.

According to the dictionary, to impute means to unjustly blame. In this case, Anne is admitting that she was being unthankful for the blessings received in the past, but she is begging that God doesn't hold it agaisnt her.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impute

Anne Bradstreet's poem is particularly useful in understanding the intertwining between God, man, and wife. It is astounding that Anne’s poems are published since Puritans frowned upon women speaking out in a public forum. However, the Puritans may have accepted her poem as an example for other women to follow in terms of her admittance to her weak and fragile state, her deference toward her husband, and her praise of God. On the other hand, Anne comes from a political and elite family. Her position as the daughter and wife of the elite ruling class might have allowed her to sidestep gender roles of the time. It becomes difficult to discern how representative Anne’s poem is of other Puritan women’s views due to her elite status.

Anne Bradstreet, according to her Puritan beliefs, regarded her marriage as a covenant with God. As Religious Studies scholar, Contance Furey, describes the relationship between a husband and wife as parallel to the relationship between God and man in which "God pledged to love his elect, though they are unworthy, and believers, in turn, are obligated to love God"( 201). Furey refers to this obligation as "relational virtue". God choose people, the elect, who were to join him in Heaven. These people inherently unworthy of Heaven were beholden to follow God as a sign of appreciation for being chosen. The relationship can be extended from a God-human to a man-wife scenario. A woman who has relational virtue freely chooses to accept her place beneath her husband in the social hierarchy. The husband in return must be benevolent and understanding of his wife. The covenant of mutual obligation between God, man, and woman is impossible to uphold if one party is not present. Furey states that, "absences deprives the names of husband and wife of meaning, and throw the structure itself into question" (210). Therefore, Anne begs God to "keep and preserve" her husband in order that she might remain virtuous.

Constance Furey, "Relational Virtue: Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Puritan Marriage," Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 42, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 201-11, accessed September 16, 2013, doi:10.1215/10829636-1473154.

Born in 1612 in Northamptonshire, England, Anne Bradstreet emmigrated to America with her husband and parents. They settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts, a Puritan colony. She is acclaimed for being the first English verse poet in America.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/428

John Winthrop, Peter Bulkey, and the first colonists of Massachusetts Bay, which included the Bradstreets, emigrated out of England in 1630. Historian, Alan Heimert who specializes on Early America, concludes that the Puritans left a turbulent England in which they believed "the Lord would imminently withdraw" for the wilderness of the Americas (361). They compared their time in the wilderness with the time the Israelites wandered the dessert prior to reaching the promised land. The colonist aimed to create a "city set on a hill" which would serve as a model of the ideal religious society.

Alan Heimert, "Puritanism, The Wilderness, and The Frontier," The New England Quarterly 26, no. 3 ( 1953): 36, accessed September 10, 2013, http://jstor.org/stable/362849.

The task of delivering babies was almost exclusively a female occupation in colonial American until the mid-seventeenth century. Historically, women were considered qualified to deliver a child if they had personal experience in childbirth and had aided in the birth of several other women. A midwife's job was to provide encouragement and moral support to the parturient women. They might administer an herbal remedy for the pain but, otherwise, they were told to allow nature to take its course.

Men, historically, were not allowed in the birthing room for moral reasons, but, by the mid-seventeenth century, that had changed. More frequently male surgeons were needed to save the lives of mothers during a difficult childbirth. However, it was not until the development of scientific obstetrics and medical forceps that "man-wifery" became commonplace.

Judy Barrett Litoff, "The Midwife throughout History," Journal of Nurse-Midwifery27, no. 6 (1982): 3-5, accessed September 16, 2013, doi:10.1016/0091-2182(82)90085-4.

Dr. Walter Channing was born on April 15, 1786 in Newport, Rode Island. He was known for using ether as an anesthetic in childbirth and he was the first professor of obstetrics at Harvard University.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/105784/Walter-Channing

Anne's husband, Simon Bradstreet, was a political man. In 1660, Charles II reclaimed the English throne leaving the colonists wondering whether their charters would be upheld. In 1661, Simon was chosen as the head of a committee which intended to write a letter to the King declaring their allegiance, but also, petitioning their rights. The letter was officially adopted in June of 1661 making it unclear why Bradstreet went to England in January of 1661. However, it would be plausible to assume his address was political in nature.

Jacob Bailey Moore, Lives of the Governors of New Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay (1797-1853): Hardpress, 2013), 382-83