Chapters 1-4 Readings

Class No. 1: American Women in the Colonial Era

In this first week of class, you will be reading an essay on approaches to Women's History, and then about Native American Women, European ideas about witchcraft, and the nature of women's work in the colonial era. It is a lot to study in one week, and I would like to point out some general themes here, and then to provide some questions and thoughts on the particular reading assignments.

In this first part of class, there are a variety of "American" women with radically different experiences. First of all, there are Native American Women, and of course within this group itself there is a great deal of variation that a survey course in Women's History can never adequately address. Major differences among Native groups generally center around agriculture v. hunting and gathering, along with patterns of organization such as patrilineal v. matrilineal. In matrilineal societies, for example, family descent follows through the female line, and some of these societies are notable for the empowerment of women. In agricultural societies, women usually did this work of tending fields, a practice that was difficult for Europeans to understand.

European American Women similarly came from various cultures, though generally sharing experiences defined by patrilineal and patriarchal societies. In most European societies, descent was defined by the father's family, and men occupied economic and political postitions of power.

African American Women came from many societies similar to Native American women, though the fact of servitude and slavery shackled them to the European patriarchal culture. The result was a complex culture that developed in the oppressive context of slavery.

In which of these societies do you think women had the most power over their lives? Which kinds of societies afforded women the most choices in their lives? What examples do you find in which women are empowered? What examples do you find of subjugation? Are women empowered in their family lives? What about economic and political empowerment?

Finally, some basic points to keep in mind:

1-In understanding the past experiences of women, fertility is a central issue--very generally speaking, women in the colonial era had roughly 7 childen, one born every other year. This pattern begins to change about the time of the Revolution in the United States, what becomes the United States, and from the 1790s to 1850, fertility declines along with the death rate. Women had fewer children and lived longer. This is part of a pattern referred to as the Demographic Transition. You can imagine the tremendous impact this change has on the lives of women.

2-In the pre-industrial era. many women's lives are defined by the family ecnomy. Life and labor are centered around agricultural production and/or commerce. I point this out because today, in post-industrialized societies, we think of family and work as separate. In colonial societies, families are themselves important in an economic life of agriculture, agricultural products, trade, and the manufacture of needed items such as cloth, clothing, and foodstuffs.

As you read these documents and essays, look for examples that you find best reveal the lives of colonial women--are there some basic similarities in the lives of women, or are the lives of these various groups of women more defined by their differences?

CHAPTER 1: Gisela Bock, "Challenging Dichotomies in Women's History," pp. 8-14.

CHAPTER 2: Documents, pp. 24-35: Samuel de Champlain; Mary Musgrove 1734 & 1747; John Heckewelder Observations; John Tanner & Bruce M. White, "Gender Roles in the Ojibwa Fur Trade," pp. 43-49

Much of what we know about Native American life comes from European accounts, which you find in the documents. How do these documents reveal the lives of Native American women accurately? How do these documents reveal the lives and ideas of Europeans? To what extent do you think Ojibwa women find opportunities for empowerment? What do you think was the experience of most Indian women?

CHAPTER 3: John Putnam Demos, "Characteristics of Accused Witches," pp. 60-70 & Mary Beth Norton, "Accusers of George Burroughs," pp. 70-78

In these two articles I would like you to think about the ways in which witchcraft reveals European ideas about the "nature" of women. The first article is based on various witchcraft cases while the second provides more colonial context for Salem. How do these trials expose colonial ideas about women, and why do you think they occurred?

CHAPTER 4: Documents: Elizabeth Sandwith Drinker; Landon Carter; George Washington (Slaves & Assigned Work); Eulalia Perez; Carole Shammas, "Work of Enslaved Women," pp. 91-96; Karin Wulf, "Women's Work in Colonial Philadelphia," pp. 97-103; andVirginia Marie Bouvier, "Women's Work in California's Spanish Missions," pp. 103-109

Here you have documents and articles addressing a variety of women and their working lives. To what extent is work similar for women in drastically different cultures? Different? Which examples do you think illustrate women who are empowered by their economic opportunities? Why?