Catherine Beecher: Treatise on Domestic Economy, 1841.

“The [Beecher] sisters’ canon of domesticity stressed that the home, run by the mother, was to serve as a shelter and a refuge from the turmoil outside. The home, under the nurturing guidance of the housewife, became a religious place--a sacred home promoting loyalty and family support...women were morally superior to men, and the proper feminine sphere was providing husband and children an elevated home environment.” (71)

(Palen, J. John. The Suburbs. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Print.)