When conquerors sacked a city and made their conquest, they killed those who fought (disproportionately these were men) and enslaved those who didn't fight (disproportionately these were women). although in war situations, women have fought tooth and nail when it comes to the last line of defenses to protect the children but also have poisoned their children and committed suicide to escape the hell of enslavement.
before the civil war and ensuing emancipation proclamation, the slave man is disposable but the slave woman, not so, because they are the birthing factories of more slaves and will be taken care of accordingly whereas men were beasts of labor. and this is true of any slave society, all the way from ancient greeks to ancient romans to colonial campaigns to the united states.
Women before the Civil War could still be worshiped but couldnt vote or let their voices be heard. But African American men were not allowed to do anything at all, they were basically treated like wild dogs.
The main change is the countries the immigrants were coming from. The immigrants in 1840s were coming from the Western Europe mainly Ireland and Germany. Immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe were coming a bit later while during the beginning of the 20th century most of the immigrants came from Italy.
