Building Houses, Building Nations: Public and Private Entanglements in the Shaping of the United States

The article examines the complex interplay between the public and private spheres, particularly through a feminist lens, emphasizing the political dimensions inherent in the evolving role of the home in North America. It challenges the traditional dichotomy, delving into the intimate connection between the public and private. The home, redefined as politically relevant, becomes a battleground for power dynamics, care responsibilities, and the construction of societal structures. The colonial house is portrayed as a crucial factor in colonization, undergoing transformation into the center of the 'cult of domesticity.' The article unveils the paradoxical nature of sentimentalism and the 'separate spheres' ideology, emphasizing the political value of the home while women remain excluded from direct political action. The concluding discussion emphasizes feminist endeavors to bridge the gap between domestic and public life, recognizing women's rights in the home, and advocating for the visibility and political acknowledgment of domestic work in the public space.