Fall 2005

History 308 History of Women in U.S. (1)

This course is the first of a two-quarter sequence on the history of women in the United States of America. We will study the diverse experiences and social roles of women from settlement in the 17th century to the era of Reconstruction after the Civil War. The following topics and themes will be discussed as we build on our chronological framework: Native American women; regional variation in the formation of colonial society; the "proper place" of white women; women and reform movements, religion, and sexuality; African-American women; the development of slavery; women as pioneers; women and work. The course will emphasize the diversity and change among the various social classes and races that comprise U.S. women's history.