The topic of women and slavery offers enough sources to warrant an entire class period and usually supplies some engaging discussion among the students. When discussing the subject it is important to offer perspectives from both female slaveholders and female slaves. There were of course diverse experiences for female slaves and slave owners based on their circumstances, but I try to provide a variety of examples of how they lived.
Women and Westward Movement
The first couple of classes for the early American history course always seem to have men at the center, with the focus on men as explorers, settlers, and residents of the New World. For that reason when I make it to the early colonial days I like to bring women into the picture. Dividing the experience of women in the colonies into society's views versus real life provides a nice organization for the topic.
Women and World War II
It is my hope with this blog to share my successes and failures on incorporating women’s history into my American history courses. I will also share the sources that I use to communicate the information to my students and encourage their interest. Each blog will look at a topic in women’s history and how I incorporated it into a survey course.
