In the 19th century, middle-class Anglo women across Canada, especially in the Maritime provinces, transformed the interior decoration of their homes.
Instead of austere functionality, they enlivened their living spaces with plush furniture, deep carpets, handmade fancy-work, hanging plants, bookcases, inexpensive paintings, and decorations.
They gleaned their ideas from ladies' magazines and from each other.
They were taking more and more control of their "separate sphere" of the home, which they transformed into a comfortable retreat from the vicissitudes of a competitive masculine business world.

From the late 19th century to the Great Depression, thousands of young, single women from the Maritime provinces migrated to better paying jobs in New England.
Their family needed the money, and most worked as household servants or factory workers in the textile mills and shoe factories.
After 1900, some came to work as professional women, especially teachers and nurses.
Most returned home permanently to get married.
Some women in the Maritimes pursued work in heavily male dominated work such as seafaring.
An increasing number of women went to sea in the 19th century, although usually in the more traditional domestic role as stewardesses.
Bessie Hall from Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia trained as a navigator and took command of a fever-ridden ship in the 1870s, but she left the sea, as women were not permitted to be officers.
Molly Kool of Alma, New Brunswick broke the professional barriers against women at sea in 1938, when she became the first woman in the western world to win her captain's licence.

While New Brunswick gave women the right to vote in 1919, women in this province obtained the right to hold political office only in 1934.
In the 19th century, middle-class Anglo women across Canada, especially in the Maritime provinces, transformed the interior decoration of their homes. Instead of austere functionality, they enlivened their living spaces with plush furniture, deep carpets, handmade fancy-work, hanging plants, bookcases, inexpensive paintings, and decorations. They gleaned their ideas from ladies' magazines and from each other. They were taking more and more control of their "separate sphere" of the home, which they transformed into a comfortable retreat from the vicissitudes of a competitive masculine business world.
From the late 19th century to the Great Depression, thousands of young, single women from the Maritime provinces migrated to better paying jobs in New England. Their family needed the money, and most worked as household servants or factory workers in the textile mills and shoe factories. After 1900, some came to work as professional women, especially teachers and nurses. Most returned home permanently to get married. Some women in the Maritimes pursued work in heavily male dominated work such as seafaring. An increasing number of women went to sea in the 19th century, although usually in the more traditional domestic role as stewardesses. Bessie Hall from Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia trained as a navigator and took command of a fever-ridden ship in the 1870s, but she left the sea, as women were not permitted to be officers. Molly Kool of Alma, New Brunswick broke the professional barriers against women at sea in 1938, when she became the first woman in the western world to win her captain's licence.
While New Brunswick gave women the right to vote in 1919, women in this province obtained the right to hold political office only in 1934.
History of Canadian women