Before the Civil War, the South was a society based on strict racial and gender hierarchies. Apparently, elite women in the South did not advocate for social and political change because they were content not to disrupt the gender hierarchy in their society. Their subordination to elite Southern men and their society's view of feminine characteristics were central to how Southern women defined themselves. In order to advocate for change, elite Southern women would have to become unladylike and be willing to abandon a lifestyle that made them comfortable. Ultimately, because these women were not comfortable changing or abandoning their lifestyles, most did nothing to contribute to social and political change. One of the main goals of an elite Southern woman's life was to continually be considered a lady. Although some Southern women privately disagreed with the popular social and political mindsets of their time, most of their views were not so strong that they felt the need to publicly advocate for change. This was mainly because if a woman expressed her opinion publicly, she would be seen as unladylike, which would be a blow to her reputation, the cornerstone of how she defined herself. In the book Mothers of Invention, Drew Gilpin Faust gives reader Lucy Wood an example of an elite Southern woman who had a negative view of the African slave trade. In a letter to her future husband, Lucy Wood expressed that she felt the African slave trade was "extremely revolting", but was quick to add: "[but] I have no political opinion and I have a particular dislike for all women who discuss these issues. (10). This elite Southern woman was apparently more concerned with her own reputation as a lady than defending... middle of paper... life," but without the protection of men and slaves, they would have been "mere domestic chores.” (Faust 250). In other words, elite Southern women did not have a desire to change their society; in fact, most were unable to imagine any other way of life. In conclusion, elite women in the South were very comfortable with the lifestyle their society offered them. Although they held opposing social and political views, those views were no more important to them than the way of life they allowed themselves to be defined. On the whole, elite Southern women were unwilling to give up their feminine restraint and the comfort provided by their husbands and slaves in order to bring about social and political change for themselves and those they they considered inferior. Thus, the majority of elite women in the South did nothing to advocate for the changes their society needed..