ePub Martin Luther: Confessor of the Faith (Christian Theology in Context) by Robert Kolb in History

Description

In 1607; Powhatan teenager Pocahontas first encountered English settlers when John Smith was brought to her village as a captive. In 1920; the ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the constitutional right to vote. And in 2012; the U.S. Marine Corps lifted its ban on women in active combat; allowing female marines to join the sisterhood of American women who stand at the center of this country's history. Between each of these signal points runs the multi-layered experience of American women; from pre-colonization to the present. In American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction Susan Ware emphasizes the richly diverse experiences of American women as they were shaped by factors such as race; class; religion; geographical location; age; and sexual orientation. The book begins with a comprehensive look at early America; with gender at the center; making it clear that women's experiences were not always the same as men's; and looking at the colonizers as well as the colonized; along with issues of settlement; slavery; and regional variations. She shows how women's domestic and waged labor shaped the Northern economy; and how slavery affected the lives of both free and enslaved Southern women. Ware then moves through the tumultuous decades of industrialization and urbanization; describing the 19th century movements led by women (temperance; moral reform; and abolitionism); She links women's experiences to the familiar events of the Civil War; the Progressive Era; and World War I; culminating in 20th century female activism for civil rights and successive waves of feminism. Ware explores the major transformations in women's history; with attention to a wide range of themes from political activism to popular culture; the work force and the family. From Anne Bradstreet to Ida B. Wells to Eleanor Roosevelt; this Very Short Introduction recognizes women as a force in American history and; more importantly; tells women's history as American history. At the core of Ware's narrative is the recognition that gender - the changing historical and cultural constructions of roles assigned to the biological differences of the sexes - is central to understanding the history of American women's lives; and to the history of the United States. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts; analysis; perspective; new ideas; and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.