Being a girl in 1750 is a lot different than being a boy. At 12 years old, you already know that.
During dinner, your wealthy father talks to your brothers about interesting scientific ideas. He talks to you, too. But he just asks about your needlework. Sometimes he wants to know what your mother is teaching you about running the household. You would much rather talk about the things he and your brothers discuss. Will you ever get to see through a telescope or read Sir Isaac Newton’s book? Your uncle has different ideas about what girls should know. So your cousin is learning Latin, the language of science. Maybe she will teach you.
Wealthy and middle-class women were once seen as just decorations for the home. It was like that for hundreds of years. They learned about homemaking, and their job was to obey their husbands. During the Enlightenment, some women rebelled against those ideas. And they were bold about it!
