According to the philosophy of "republican motherhood (womanhood)," american women should

a. be educated and play an active and direct role in the political life of the nation

b. be educated and raise virtuous citizens for the new nation

c. be educated and demand equal rights with men

d. accept a subordinate role in

The correct answer is B.

Republican motherhood describes an attitude towards the role of a woman in the society after the American revolution.

Puritans preached the moral superiority of men. Enlightened thinkers rejected this and stressed that the role of a woman should be to be educated and to raise virtuous and educated citizens. Women, as the primery caretakers of the children, must be schooled in virtue so they could teach their children.

The Republican mother was seen as the custodian of civic virtue responsible for upholding the morality of her children and her husband.

As a result of this movement, educational opportunities for women increased. The first American female academies were established in 1970s. It also gave rise to the womens' rights movements, as many of them realized they were themselves enslaved in their domestic duties and opted for a change.