As in all of early America a woman's role in society was very much more limited than that of a man's. Unlike her brothers who might go off to boarding school for their education, French girls generaly learned at home at the feet of her mother. It was there girls learned the basics of domesticity which included but was not limited to washing, sewing, cooking, cleaning, gardening and the many other tasks at hand that were attributed to managing a household which included slaves.
There were very few girls' schools established during this time to afford the study of languages, mathematics, poetry, art and music and the many other refinement classes such as philosophy that served to round off a young woman's education. Funds were generally reserved for the education of her brothers to provide them with the opportunities for a prosperous life.
The primary purpose of any girl's formal instruction was to help her catch a husband. Marriage was considered the societal norm, there were very few other options for women besides finding work as governeesses or teachers. Women who had been married were able to take over their husband's businesses and become shopkeepers. A final alternative to marriage was to enter a convent.
The options were very limited for unmarried females in the colonial period.
