This course examines the history of American women from the seventeenth century to the 1990s by analyzing the changing images and roles women have held in the family, workplace, politics, and society. Attention is paid not only to the common experiences of women, but also to the impact of race, ethnicity, and class on women’s lives. No prior knowledge of women’s history is necessary or expected.
The format of the class will consist of lectures and discussions. Lectures and the textbook will provide students with conceptual frameworks and facts for understanding U. S. women’s history. Students will also be called on to read a variety of primary sources and secondary sources written by prominent American and women’s historians and to analyze these texts in weekly discussions.