Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World

Dorothy A. Mays

ABC-CLIO, 2004 - United States - 495 pages

This volume fills a gap in traditional women's history books by offering fascinating details of the lives of early American women and showing how these women adapted to the challenges of daily life in the colonies.
Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World provides insight into an era in American history when women had immense responsibilities and unusual freedoms. These women worked in a range of occupations such as tavernkeeping, printing, spiritual leadership, trading, and shopkeeping. Pipe smoking, beer drinking, and premarital sex were widespread. One of every eight people traveling with the British Army during the American Revolution was a woman.

The coverage begins with the 1607 settlement at Jamestown and ends with the War of 1812. In addition to the role of Anglo-American women, the experiences of African, French, Dutch, and Native American women are discussed. The issues discussed include how women coped with rural isolation, why they were prone to superstitions, who was likely to give birth out of wedlock, and how they raised large families while coping with immense household responsibilities.

• Nearly 200 A-Z entries on women's lives, contributions, and struggles during the years of early America
• Illustrations of the habits of dress, material goods, and buildings that reflect the culture of these women
• Extensive annotated bibliography of recommended readings covering legal issues, ethnic groups, customs, and novels set during the era
• Sidebars highlighting interesting experiences of early American women

What people are saying

User Review -

No real research was done by the author while preparing to write this book. It is essentially a work of fiction. Almost none of it should be taken seriously.

User Review -

Would love to read this book, but I can't find a way to enlarge the print. Help with this?

Contents

• A: 1
• B: 43
• C: 61
• D: 97
• E: 127
• F: 137
• G: 157
• H: 173
• I: 195
• J: 217
• K: 223
• L: 227
• M: 243
• N: 289
• O: 293
• P: 295
• Q: 321
• R: 327
• S: 339
• T: 389
• V: 409
• W: 411
• Y: 433
• Appendix I Household Chores Common to Early American Women: 435
• Appendix II Documents: 441
• Bibliography: 455
• Index: 471
• About the Author: 495

Popular passages

Page 3 - I long to hear that you have declared an independency — and by the way, in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors.

Page 3 - I long to hear that you have declared an independancy — and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.

About the author

Dorothy A. Mays is assistant professor and librarian at Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, specializing in the history of the early modern period.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World
• Author: Dorothy A. Mays
• Edition: illustrated, annotated
• Publisher: ABC-CLIO, 2004
• ISBN: 1851094296, 9781851094295
• Length: 495 pages