Olive oil Quote by Mike Wallace
““Taverns, and the dozens of dramshops that catered to seamen and the laboring classes, were often run by widows who received free licenses from the Common Council, an inexpensive form of relief. Women were also prominent in the retail shops that boomed after the late 1720s. The Widow Lebrosses carried Canary wine and olive oil in her store at Hanover Square, the city’s shopping center, while the Widow Vanderspiegel and her son sold imported window glass. Mrs. Edwards started a cosmetics business in 1736, offering “An admirable Beautifying Wash, for Hands Face and Neck, it makes the Skin soft, smooth and plump, it likewise takes away Redness, Fredkles, Sun-Burnings, or Pimples.” The continuing role of women in trade, English as well as Dutch, promoted a certain feistiness among their ranks that ran contrary to prescriptions for proper female behavior.””
About This Quote
Source Article: “Women in 18th‑Century Trade”, 1992
Women’s active participation in commerce challenged gender norms, showing resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
In simple terms: Women entrepreneurs reshaped society.
Key Takeaway
Recognize historic female economic contributions.
Themes
gender equality
entrepreneurship
history
Mood
educational
reflective
Type
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- business mentorship
- policy advocacy
- education curricula
- museum exhibits
Key Concepts
social history
economics
women’s studies
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we honor these women today?
- What lessons apply to modern entrepreneurship?
A Different Perspective
Historical accounts may overlook broader systemic barriers.
![“Tailor's work--the finishing of men's outside garments--was the "trade" learned most frequently by women in [the 1820s and 1830s],and one or more of my older sisters worked at it; I think it must have been at home, for I somehow or somewhere got the idea, while I was a small child, that the chief…” quote by Lucy Larcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7e9/lucy-larcom-9021_chiefs_tailor-s-work-the-finishing-of-men-s-out_3158957.jpg)
![“Additionally, many widows took over family shops or businesses- and, not uncommonly, ran them better than their dead husbands. Y.pestis [black death germ] turns out to have been something of a feminist.” quote by John Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/696/john-kelly-70258_death_additionally-many-widows-took-over-famil_2588359.jpg)
