The colonial period was in part a "golden age" for women, because although it had some qualities of a golden age, it also had aspects that prevented it from being fully a period of prosperity for women. As the colonial period progressed, changes in population, lifestyles, and opportunities had effects that opened new doors for women and prevented them from reaching their full potential. The inconsistent population fluctuation had a profound effect on women who could have both supported the idea that the colonial period was a "golden age", while also being removed from it. On the one hand, the male/female population ratio was dramatically unbalanced. The number of men in the colonies far exceeded that of women. Lois Green Carr and Lorena S. Walsh in The Planter's Wife: The Experience of White Women in Seventeenth-Century Maryland, Lois Green Carr and Lorena S. Walsh state: "...in 1634-1635, men were six times more numerous than women. ". On top of that, "from at least the 1650s until the 1680s, most sources show a ratio of three to one." Even in 1704, in Maryland, the number of men exceeded the number of women, because “a census recorded 30,437 white people, 7,163 of whom were adult women.” Because of the disproportionate gender ratio, women had greater choice in matters of marriage Louis Green Carr and Lorena S. Walsh state. : "There is evidence that the absence of kinship and the pressures of sex created conditions of sexual freedom in courtship which were not customary in England" Because men generally died before their young wives, many women remarried However, there were many dangers and obstacles that women faced on their journey to the new world and during their life in the colonies, which could argue that the colonial period…. .. middle of paper ...... economic success of the colonies. Society's rules and laws have held women back, but they have also gained influence, power, and opportunities. Although they were not allowed to participate in politics, by 1780 women had better educational opportunities. In addition to this, women were also given more rights and property. For example, men would include their wives in their wills and give them land and/or property for the women themselves and their children. Eventually, as the colonial period progressed, women received a fair trial in divorce cases. The colonial period was in part a “golden age”. This period had qualities that also allowed women to advance and had certain aspects that held women back. Thanks to population, lifestyles and opportunities, women have both prospered and been deprived of certain rights that limited women's freedom and choices..