To weather unstable industrial depressions, middle-class women were expected to

Middle class women were expected to hire fewer servants and do more of the household chores themselves. Working and earning money was not allowed in most businesses so they had to work more in the house. This wasn't a problem for wealthy people because they would always stay wealthy, or the poor because they never had servants to begin with.

In the midwest because it has more moderate climate than the north or south west which makes farming far easier.