Final answer:
Republican Motherhood was the post-Revolutionary War ideal stressing a woman's role in nurturing civic virtue in her children, leading to enhanced educational opportunities for women. It coexisted with the Cult of Domesticity, shaping 19th-century gender expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The new ideal for women after the American Revolution, known as Republican Motherhood, emphasized the vital role of mothers in instilling virtues like honor and patriotism in their children, which were deemed essential for the success of the republic. This concept led to a greater focus on the educational opportunities for women, as they were recognized as the primary educators of future citizens in their role as custodians of republican virtue. Prominent figures such as Benjamin Rush and advocates like Judith Sargent Murray and Catharine Beecher were instrumental in pushing for women's roles in education and in the broader context of societal moral guidance. Concurrently, the Cult of Domesticity emerged, underscoring the expectations for women to be pious, pure, submissive, and domestic, thus enforcing gender roles and signaling a broader shift toward delineating spheres of influence during the 19th century.