] What I'm basically saying is that Georgian ladies were Corporate executives of the homefront-they had to "network" their families ties,maintain the social balance of the community and keep the fortunes growing by making good matches. The main difference,IMO,is that nowadays,most women have to use their managing skills at work AND at home.

Very true. We recently visited Greenfiled Village here in Detroit where Henry Ford collected old buildings from aroung the US and even a few from Europe. They have a section of old houses. In one of the houses the "interpreter" was describing the "work" of the lady of the house. She was the wife of an 18th century merchant in Conn., and her "job" was to hold teas to network her family into the community. During the teas they would do things such as read aloud a chapter from a novel, hoping that the well connected women that were invited would come back to hear more. The relationships helped her husband with his business, and helped her children marry well, increasing the family's social status.

When you think about it, all of this still goes on today in among the wealthy. Thus the importance of attending the right schools and endowing the correct charities. For the socially ambitious, things haven't changed much at all.