The Scientific Revolution, spanning 1500 to 1700, was a transformative era, when new ideas were more readily embraced in the Western world. The unprecedented change was spurred by a medley of factors that encouraged learning and experimentation, especially after the Middle Ages. Today, the Scientific Revolution is celebrated for fostering a culture of science and logic that challenged Christian doctrines in most of the Western world. While women were still largely marginalized by much of society during this time, some did break through the societal barriers and make significant contributions to the fields of science and industry.
What Problems Did Women Face During the Scientific Revolution?
Even though norms and attitudes shifted during the Scientific Revolution, restrictive beliefs towards women in the sciences persisted. One factor that gave rise to this problem was the male-dominated structures present in many higher-education institutions. The deep-seated issue made it difficult for women to progress in science-related fields due to prevalent prejudices against them.
It was not unusual to find some institutions barring women from joining. As a result, many women were unable to get into science-oriented careers. That said, there were a few exceptional cases. In Italy, for example, women scholars such as Laura Bassi were able to obtain degrees from the University of Bologna in the early 1700s. She eventually went on to teach physics at the institution.
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Sign up to our Free Weekly NewsletterHowever, such cases were rare and many women who wished to join science-oriented institutions faced significant hurdles. Moreover, a lot of key institutions failed to recognize their achievements and their funding requests were frequently denied. The Royal Society of London, which was involved in promoting and funding scientific research endeavors, for example, openly barred women from joining as members. As such, many women researchers were left out. Such discriminatory practices reflected the social conventions of the time.
In spite of the challenges, many women were able to contribute to science in other ways. Some of them made their own independent discoveries while others worked as assistants or in other junior roles. At a time when validation was needed to encourage women to join science-oriented fields, it rarely happened. However, some upper-class women organized social events where they could meet with prominent scientists and mathematicians, such as the Parisian Salon, even if the women who organized such gatherings were ridiculed or heavily criticized.
What Fields Did Women Dominate During the Scientific Revolution?
Women played significant roles in quite a few areas during the Scientific Revolution. Some of those areas included childbirth and health. Midwives, for example, were often respected for their knowledge. Women also wrote books about nutrition and recipes, regularly covering subjects such as home care and popular domestic science remedies for sick children.
Besides writing, women were involved in the translation of important scientific texts. French mathematician Gabrielle Émilie du Châtelet, for example, is recognized for translating Isaac Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) from Latin to French. A significant number of women also worked as technicians, artists, illustrators, teachers, patent clerks, and botanic researchers during the Scientific Revolution.
Which Famous Women Were at the Forefront of the Scientific Revolution?
Quite a few women were directly involved in the Scientific Revolution. One of those women was German astronomer Maria Winkelmann (1670 – 1720). Maria worked alongside her husband, Gottfried Kirch, and helped to develop astronomical calendars. Since female scientists were not recognized at the time, Winkelmann was tagged as his assistant even though she was actually his research associate. In 1702, she became the first woman to discover a comet.
Another woman who made a significant contribution during the Scientific Revolution was Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717). The German plant and animal expert is credited with creating a book that covered European insects. At one point in 1672, she traveled to Suriname in Dutch South America with a female associate where she gathered samples that would later on be included in her famous book “Dissertation in Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam.”
Gabrielle Emilie Du Chatelet (1706 – 1749) made a notable contribution during the Scientific Revolution. A French math expert and physicist, she learned the subjects mostly from self-education. Her 1740 book “Foundations of Physics” is one of her most famous works. It enabled her to be accepted in the highly regarded Republic of Letters (Res Publica Literaria) intellectual community. She would later be celebrated for coming up with a more convenient formula for calculating kinetic energy. Besides these achievements, she is also lauded for her improvements to Galileo Galilei’s ideas by combining them with Newtonian physics.
Sophia Brahe (1556-1643), a Danish horticulturist, astronomer, and scientist also made some notable contributions during the Scientific Revolution. Working alongside her brother, Tycho, in determining lunar eclipses and the supernova phenomenon, her work helped scientists to better understand how planets moved around the sun.
