Well, we tend to view the past through the spectacles of our own time. That can lead to two polar opposite conclusions: 1) that everybody did the same things we do now, but with different props (which is not quite accurate) or that 2) roles were strictly and impossibly defined so that rigid status of sex and gender were maintained (which isn´t quite the story either). Largely because of the Victorian romanticization of women´s roles, the the discrimination that attended it, we´ve been handed a version of history that downplayed women´s roles in it.
Reenacting has a special puzzle for impressions, though. It is a little like theater. Heck ¨actor¨ is part of the word. Even if you think of yourself as an extra, or a non-speaking role, everything about who you are has to been communicated through your ¨costume¨ and the props you use. Some of those details may only be apparent to people who have their antennae up already. For instance, a friend of mine who is of Norwegian background wears a vest that is characteristically Scandanavian. Sometimes people notice that. Basically, if it doesn´t affect the clothes you wear and the things you use, it doesn´t matter for reenacting purposes. Try to remember that as you flesh out an impression. It´s wasted effort to answer the question no one is asking.
Now if you want your impression to interact directly with spectators, think of one or two things that you can demonstrate, or a simple craft that you can show them. Not a whole truck-load, just one or two things you´re interested in. And stick to that. It will be enough. The mid-nineteenth century was a long time ago, and the way of life is now really beyond living memory. It´s almost like you´re helping people connect to a foreign culture at this point rather than connecting with another version of their own culture. A little bit is encouraging; a lot is overwhelming.
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