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Deprecated: header(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($response_code) of type int is deprecated in /home/umwhisto/public_html/mcclurken/wiki/includes/WebResponse.php on line 38 https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=72.82.68.57McClurken Wiki - User contributions [en]2026-09-18T23:16:05ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.22.0https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_7_Questions/CommentsWeek 7 Questions/Comments2007-10-11T00:10:59Z<p>72.82.68.57: </p>
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<div>In the reading from Woloch's book, part of Martha Ballard's diary, I thought it was great how Martha didn't even begin her career until age 42,had six kids,and had several careers such as a housewife, slaughtered livestock, spun flax, produced candles and soap, knitted cloathing, pieced quilts, raised chickens, milked cows, fed pigs, and grew vegetables. Martha also ran a buisy local practice as a healer and midwife, and did much more! This was a remarkable women in my eyes.-Katie D.<br />
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In the reading from Woloch's book, part of Martha Ballard's diary, I liked how her diary was at once a professional log, a family record, and a community record, because of her continual involvement with clients, neighbors, and local happenings.- Katie D.<br />
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I thought it was interesting too how her diary did cover all points of her life, not just about her being a good wife or a good mother or a good midwife or what have you. That was one aspect of her diary that stood out from the diaries we have looked at previously. The diaries from the other periods seemed more concerned with making the writer look like a good Christian or the proper woman of the time, like she wrote it because she knew that it would be read some day and that she wanted to make sure her decendants knew what a wonderful person she was. While Martha Ballard may have had the same intention it also seems as though she wanted to keep the record more for herself and her children then to show how good she was. --Mary P.<br />
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In her diary, Martha Ballard mentions a man by the name of Mr. Ballard a couple of times, which I’m assuming is her husband. I was curious as to how much control he actually had over her life. I got the impression that midwives were usually widows or were unattached to a man. Does that make her case unusual? She is very independent and very busy, and she seems to do a lot of her healing and midwife duties on her own. -- Jennifer Feldhaus<br />
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In response to Jennifer about Mr. Ballard, who I too assume is her husband, I suppose that he had as much control over some aspects of her life as most men did over their wives. But I also got the impression that he is not always/not often at home. Frequently she wrote about him being off surveying somewhere. But also Martha was an older woman, who had already given birth to children, who did have a vocation and so she did have probably slightly more control then most. At the same time however, she is still known as Mrs. Martha Ballard and her role as a housewife and mother and grandmother takes presidence over her role as a midwife. --Mary P.<br />
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I think Martha uses the name Mr. Ballard, who I am sure is her husband, out of respect and love for her husband as the provider and business man that he is. I know when I was young it was not uncommon for couple who were elderly at that time to refer to themselves as Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith. Also couples who were business people tended to call each other by their formal names. I am a big fan of the old T.V. series The Walton’s. The Godseys were characters in the show that called each other Mr. Godsey and Mrs. Godsey. They didn’t often use their first name when they where addressing each other. ---Cheryl<br />
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I agree somewhat with Cheryl on why Martha refers to her husband as Mr. Ballard, but maybe this use of full names could give us some idea of why she kept the diary. It was obviously not solely for personal pleasure. Maybe she was keeping it so that later on others could understand it if necessary and she wanted to be clear about who she was referring to. She often references how much she paid for certain services or how much she was paid so I can't help but wonder what exactly this diary was kept for. For her own personal recollection? As some sort of family banking account? As proof of particular jobs and payments? -- Allison J<br />
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While reading over Martha's diary online, I was surprised to read the section about Martha's son and eventual daughter-in-law. The couple had a child out of wedlock but the courts were less concerned with their immoral behavior but rather identifying the father so that the community would not be responsible for supporting the mother and child. Is this evidence of the ongoing shift from a religious to a secular society ? --E. Hufford<br />
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Religion still seems to be a very large factor in her life since she notes who in her family went to church on Sunday and she usually gives a clear reason if she doesn't go. She also talks about town meetings during which they decide to hire on preachers, etc. Possibly this concern over the father of the illegitimate child really is just a concern about money. At this time there would obviously be no government programs for single mothers or illegitimate children so something had to be done. Maybe this situation just shows that premarital sex did happen and it happened frequently enough that the community knew that it was important to take action before they were saddled with a child to care for. -- Allison J <br />
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When reading Martha's diary dated the 9th of July 1806, I was appalled when reading of the Purrinton murders. I was shocked in the sense that one does not usually attribute such horrific behavior to that time. Many people today blame suicide-homicides on the society in which we live. I found it intersting and horrifying that such atrocities did happen even two hundred years ago.--E. Hufford<br />
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I have been reading a lot of medical history lately and I found Martha’s diary passages in the winter very interesting in the fact that she gives good details on her ailments. The details are so good it makes me wonder if the fact there are many times during the winter when they are feeling fatigued and colicky that maybe it might be due to lack of a completely balanced diet. Often in the 1700s and 1800s fruits and vegetables are not very abundant. This food items are very high in various vitamins and minerals our body needs. Some of the symptoms Martha wrote about fit some of the vitamin deficiency diseases I am studying. ---Cheryl<br />
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What I would like to know is how Martha Ballard had the time to run her own household and take care of her own family as well as be a busy midwife. She seemed to be on call all the time and at the end of the diary entry in the Woloch book, she said she lost 42 nights of sleep that year! ~Katherine Stinson~<br />
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In response to Katherine's comment I think Martha had more time to focus on being a midwife because her children were all grown up by this time so she did not have to spend anytime on child rearing. I researched her a bit more and found out that she wrote at night while her family slept so she was not spending time during the day on these entries. <br />
Martha Ballard is a wonderful example of an 18th century woman who was not only a dutiful wife and mother but also had a professional role in her community as midwife and healer for thirty years. I found it remarkable that she kept her diary for such a long period of time and made daily entries. Martha also seemed to be very sick throughout some of these years but that did not stop her from performing all her household and professional duties. –Caitlin Quinn<br />
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In Woloch's excerpt, I noticed that though the year she delivered 28 babies and 17 of them were "daughters" that is a lot of female babies. Was there something in this town's water that made them all girls? I also would have liked to read about how many of these babies survived the year, and how their mothers were doing. Why did she tell us the number of daughters? Does that show us that she values girl babies over boy babies? Could it be that she was just using short hand and telling us how many of one sex is easier than how many of both? -- Julie Castanien<br />
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I also would like to comment on how cool that website was that had her entire diary. It provided an excellent way of seeing the source first hand while still making it understandable. -- Julie Castanien<br />
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I'm curious about the qualifications for being a midwife. I assume training was fairly informal and reputation seemed to be the only resume. The Woloch reading refers to another, less trustworthy midwife "Mrs. Smith." Why was Smith not trusted? What was the difference between Smith and Ballard?-- Kelly Martin<br />
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Becoming a midwife seemed to be one of the few ways women could achieve status in the eighteenth century community. I wonder if this contributed to Ballard's desire to seek the role later in life. --Kelly Martin<br />
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There seemed to be little mention of her husband, I wonder why that it is. Maybe he was busy or nothing worth noting happened? I guess since Martha already had six kids, she knew pretty much all one could know about having children, so midwifery seemed like a logical thing for her do. It certainly kept her busy, since she delivers a couple kids every month. The editor characterizes other midwives as 'competitors,' which I found interesting. The thought of midwifery usually doesn't bring competition and economics to my mind. -Christopher Plummer</div>72.82.68.57https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_5_Questions/CommentsWeek 5 Questions/Comments2007-09-27T02:46:41Z<p>72.82.68.57: </p>
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<div>"Thomas Paine Admits Women Have Some Rights" left me wondering if his comments would have helped or hindered women in the eighteenth century. Paine states grievances against women while projecting them to be weak and fragile. He praises their contributions and advocates for recognition of female accomplishment, while belittling women with allusions to their inability to care for themselves. Paine's claims seem to be overwhelmingly contradictory. So, my question is-- Could Paine be considered an early feminist? -Kelly Martin<br />
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When reading "Thomas Paine Admits Women Have Some Rights", I also was a bit confused to where Paine was coming from. His claim's were infact very contradictory with one another. After reading Kelly's question,this leads me to believe that he could be a considered an early feminist in some ways. -Katie D.<br />
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I also found "Thomas Paine Admits Women Have some Rights" very interesting in that he contradicts himself in saying women are weak but have a great deal of courage for putting up with oppression throughout time and the world. Though this article did make me wonder what men's reaction to his article would have been. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Well, I too was a little confused. But looking at it in context- this is all propoganda. Is this not to just gather more patriots for the "cause"? His soft side of defending women could gather more support from the women, yet his ideas of the mascline chivalry could win the support of men. - Talya Halpern. <br />
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Paine's comments on the rights of women almost assumes a certain amount of kindness or mercy is required to be offered by the conqueror, victor, or elite, almost like the deference offered in the patriarchal system of Virginia. It would be interesting to compare Paine's work with the work of Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women.Is there any information on what prompted Paine to write this essay?--A. Meyer<br />
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When reading the essay "A Carolina Patriot" in Woloch's book, there was an excerpt found from Eliza Wilkerson's wartime letters to an unspecified friend. I found it intersting that she said "For my part, "I would rather explore unknown regions, blessed with liberty, than remain in my native country if to be cursed with slavery"(p.123). Throughout this excerpt Eliza seems to be "inventing" herself - adopting the pose appropriate to a "female patriot". -Katie D.<br />
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I found the letter that Katie D. mentioned to be very interesting and I would agree with the statement that she seems to be "inventing" herself. Everything that she wrote is apparently saturated with patriotic thoughts and feelings. I am curious however just how common an attitude towards politics at the time was Eliza Wilkerson's or were more women inclined to have more of the feelings of Grace Galloway (starting on page 124). Grace Galloway's diary entries are such a total opposite to the letter of ELiza Wilkerson that a reader is battered with very strong opposing views. --Mary P.<br />
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In regards to Katie and Mary's comments, I am also curious about how a different audience would have altered Eliza Wilkerson's statements. How might her opinions or framing of opinions have been altered if voiced to a man? Would Eliza have the same feeling of invention? -Kelly Martin<br />
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I was interested in how the political atmosphere and/or personal political leanings would have affected Wilkerson's and Galloway's varying views on politics and the war. For example, while Wilkerson seems idealistic and interested in politics, would she have had the same enthusiasm as a Loyalist? Would Galloway have been merely irritated with the intrusion of politics in her life if her husband's Loyalist stance hadn't caused her to lose her home? --Ashley H.<br />
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In regards to Eliza’s letter, I was also struck by her quote, “I would rather explore unknown regions, blessed with liberty, than remain in my native country if to be cursed with slavery.” It certainly paints a pretty bold picture. However, I always find it ironic when plantation owners, who are presumably slave owners, make comparisons to how wickedly they are being treated by others, when they themselves own slaves. Essentially saying, “It’s okay to treat someone else like that, just as long as it’s not me.”- Lisa Wilkerson <br />
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This could be totally wrong, but in the context of the letter, I don't think Maj. Moore is talking about slavery as we understand it today. He is probably referring to the seizing of property by the British government (i.e. what the colonists saw as tyranny though the Stamp Act and other laws passsed by Parliament at that time). Now, if I had not attended Prof. Hudgins’s American Revolution class yesterday, I totally would have thought the same thing. Yay for classes overlapping!--Kaitlyn G.<br />
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I agree with Lisa! This attitude makes just as much sense as a bunch of slaveholders writing a Constitution about equality and liberty. -- Allison J. <br />
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Another thing I found interesting was when Eliza Wilkinson's wrote,"I would not wish that we should meddle in what is unbecoming female delicacy...." She was so "progressive" in her views and how much she spoke out for the inclusion of women in areas beside domestic labor and yet she still fell victim to some gender stereotyping. --Alex K.<br />
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Perhaps Eliza was just appeasing the male ego when she wrote the above quote. I mean, men were in charge so it would be important not to ruffle too many feathers. -- Allison J. <br />
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While reading Benjamin Rush's "Thoughts Upon Female Education" I was struck by the change in the views concerning female education that we have come upon in just this short span that we have discussed. Where as before women were taught to read mostly so that they could read the Bible, now men are encouraged to promote the education of their daughters for the sake of their property, for women were often left as stewards of property and business during a husbands absence, but also, and from Rush's continuing mention of it importantly, the fact that these daughters will be growing up and getting married and having children, particularly sons, and they will have the task of educating these sons in a manner befitting their status and learning. --Mary P.<br />
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I agree with Mary regarding Rush's lecture on female education. Girls were actually going to be challenged academically in all of the subjects they formerly were kept away from. What intrigued me about this lecture, however, is that it was aimed towards men in the audience and not actually the girls who would be undergoing this new academic change. And not only was it directed at men, but at men of a much higher social class who would be in charge of allowing this change to happen. It really shows how the elite were coming into play and actually becoming a threat to the rest of the colonists. (I also enjoy that he refused to let students study French, but that's a bit off-topic) - Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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I though that it was interesting how in Esther DeBerdt's "Sentiments of an American Woman", she freely admits that women have "...feeble hands..." (115). I would have thought that a comment like that would be more likely to come from a man of that time and not a woman. ~Katherine S.~<br />
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I felt that the way Mary Jemison described the Native Americans in the article "The War for Independence...", made them seem very materialistic. It seemed that all the Native Americans cared about were the goods they were going to receive from the British and nothing else. ~Katherine S.~<br />
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I really enjoyed reading "An American Woman Asserts Women's Rights." I found it interesting that this woman flat out said that many women would do whatever they could to help the revolution during this time when many men felt like women wouldn't want to give up their luxuries to help the cause. I also enjoyed how she compared american women to the women of antiquity who helped save their nations. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
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I also enjoyed reading "An American Woman Asserts Women's Rights." I am the sap that this stuff was written for- I immediately felt like I could go dig a trench or build a wall to help our good ole' boys. I thought it was an excellent propoganda piece and could serve to get women who are not interested in politics involved in the fight for America's independence.- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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Agreeing with Lisa, "An American Woman Asserts Women's Rights" is a terrific piece of propaganda. I don't think anything else could have persuaded women more during the revolution to give up their luxuries like tea and fine textiles like another woman "just like them" telling them to do so. This piece did nothing but emphasize how important women could be and it is a great way to get women involved in supporting the revolution, especially if they were not the kind to immediately do so. - Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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I also enjoyed reading Esther DeBerdt Reed's piece. By showing examples of past women who struggled on behalf of their own nations, Esther bolsters her argument. I like the fact that she did not try to argue in passive manner. She asserts herself and her fellow women who want to do more to serve their nation. Her sentiments are much more convincing and empowering due to the manner in which she presented herself. --E. Hufford<br />
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Esther DeBert's piece was made even more interesting by the fact that she says that "women have been seen forgeting the weakness of their sex." This definitely makes it seem like DeBerdt does not see women as nearly as weak as they are usually portrayed. Some of the other readings went on about how weak women were-- they could help, but they were still weak. DeBert on the other hand shows women leaving their perceived weakness behind. -- Allison J. <br />
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When reading Abigail Adams' correspondence with her husband John and friend Mercy, I found myself sympathizing with Abigail. Her frustration with John when he wrote. "As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh" must have been great. Reading her letter to Mercy about John's repsonse seems as though it could have been written by a woman today to a friend complaining about her husband's actions.-- E. Hufford<br />
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I agree with those thoughts on the letters of Abigail Adams. And I find it revealing in John Adams' character. He's a historically important figure in our nations history and we hold him on a high pedestal for that. But he still thinks typical thoughts of the time period with regards to women and their "rights." His comments not only include the "I cannot but laugh comment" but even to say "We know better than to repeal our Masculine systems." We can continue to think of John Adams as a great man and important to the founding of our nation, but we must recognize his averageness in his thoughts. If that made any sense at all. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I agree that it is important to note that John Adam's thoughts were typical of the time period. However, it was a bit surprising that he put his wife in the same category as children, apprentices, Indians, and slaves. He knew she was well educated but the fact that she was a woman was the overriding factor. - Fiona Cobb <br />
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I felt that Phillis Wheatley's address to George III was an amazing piece of literature. I think it was so clever to include the words free and equal into her poem. Wheatley was treated a lot differently from most slaves . She was educated among white children, and was even sent to Europe to progress is studies and writing. Did her owners really read her poem? I am sure they were delighted for her--and them because they own her. But did they hear it? Did anyone else see those underlying messages for freedom from slavery? Did anyone agree with her underlying tones of the poem? - Talya Halpern<br />
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I have to agree with Talya that Wheatley was very clever and I think it's possible she was underestimated by those around her. She was obviously intelligent but her cleverness leads me to think she could outsmart even her owners. Of course, we will probably never know, but I like to think she had a few laughs at the expense of others as she wrote this poem as well as her others. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I found Phillis Wheatley's poem to King George III interesting. How was it that Woloch was able to interpret the poem as a subtle jab at the King yet the those in England who screened her book of poetry for poems of Revolution missed it? Nevertheless, I agree with those above that it was a very clever way to get her views across. --Alex K.<br />
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I agree with Talya's assessment of Phillis Wheatley's poem. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but wonder how different her situation could have been had she been enslaved on a rural, Southern plantation as opposed to being in Boston. This also makes me wonder: I know her poems were published in England, but were they read widely in the US? If so, how were the accepted, especially since they were the work of an African American woman?--Kaitlyn G.<br />
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I felt that Mary Jemison Views the Revolution was a great account of the War for Independence. Mary’s descriptions were not that of a typical woman. She describes scenes of prisoners being punished that many women would not even want to watch let alone observe and write about. I especially like the end of her story when she writes of how she hired herself out to an escaped black slave and how she was not too worried about the gun the slave stood over her with. I doubt many women of the colonial settlements would do the same.--Cheryl<br />
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I think Abigail Adams statement to "pay particular care and attention" to the ladies or they are "determined to forment a rebellion" was priceless! Then her husband calls her "saucy". It is amazing to see that even in a relationship like the Adams' had the notion of women being fragile and needing their husbands protection and guidance was still made very clear. ~~Mary Beth Conrad<br />
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I wonder how much of Abigail Adams's claims of women being "placed by providence under your protection" was an attempt to flatter her husband's ego and appeal to his sense of chivalry. Did she really feel women needed protection, or was she merely aware of what men needed to hear in order to consider the rights of women?-- Ashley H.<br />
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I was also confused by Thomas Paine. He seemed in one breath to praise women and the next breath insult them. I wonder how the women of the time saw his remarks. Did they feel insulted as well or was it something they were used to (being praised and insulted at the same time)?~~Mary Beth Conrad<br />
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Its interesting that the lecture by Rush about women was actually directed toward men. But its not really surprising, who else was directing culture and such things at this time? Its also worth noting how its put into contrast with Great Britain, just a few years after the American Revolution. Does this represent a self-conscious attempt to different what it means to be American from that of British? The letters between the Adams was also really interesting because it does show that although Adams is romaticized in American history, he was still a man of times. Its interesting that he refers to patriarchy as a 'theory' when he says about the 'masculine systems' that they "are little more than a theory." What exactly does that mean? That its merely a good model for behavior? I certainly don't think they were so detached toward these norms that they could truly think of them as a "theory." Its interesting to see him change the subject from "masucline systems" holding women down to a discussion of independence from the "peticoat." It seems to suggest that Adams didn't quite notice the similarity of the 'oppression' of women as the same as the peticoat toward the American. <br />
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I also found it surprising that the Native Americans so quickly gave up the six nation treaty they had created the year before when the British Commissioners asked for their help in fighting against “the rebels.” When Jemison described the British Commissioners coming before the Chiefs to try and convince them to help I really hoped the Chiefs would be able to look past their promises of material goods and an alliance with a rich King. Sadly the Chiefs were blind sighted by the promises of wealth and agreed to fight against what the British promised to be “only a few easily subdued people who deserve the punishment for their disobedience to the King.” Just a few passages later Jemison refers to a battle in the spring of 1776 when the Indians were completely beaten and thirty-six died. It seems like the “sorrow and distress” that quickly falls over the town when the warriors returned from the battle could have been easily avoided if the Chiefs had just stood their ground and not given in to the British demands.—Caitlin Quinn<br />
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I was interested in the questions that Woloch raised in the introduction to the diary of Grace Galloway, a Loyalist Wife. Specifically, can women be held responsibile for their political opinions? In this case Galloway's property and inheritance was confiscated because she was a Loyalist. I thought this was a bit extreme considering her husband had already fled never to return and she didn't seem like a die hard loyalist in her diary and was more concerned about her possessions. Additionally, at the time women were thought to be politically ignorant. Was this instance more about show rather than politics? - Fiona Cobb<br />
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I believe Grace Galloway's case is one of the most excellent examples of Dr. McClurken's claim that women overwhelmingly remembered the deprivations and terrors of abuse,loss of property, and loss of lives. The reception she received by her supposed friends during the war is one of the numerous accounts of the true depth of the effects of war. Another interesting experience illustrated by her case was how femme covert status often cost a woman her property, even if she disagreed with her husband's politics. --A. Meyer<br />
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Just because it needs to be said somewhere, as an addition to Dr. McClurken's lecture Tuesday, the following women deserve at least equal recognition to Mercy Otis Warren for their role in inspiring and rousing men to engage in resistance to the British. This is not intended to romanticize women's activities during the Revolution any more than history textbooks romanticize men's activities during the Revolution. These women adopted courageous roles and they deserve credit as individuals for their activities: <br />
*Hannah Arnett--When the men were considering signing the Howe brothers proclamation of loyalty, she burst into their discussion and made a rousing speech and presentation convincing them not to sign the proclamation<br />
*Penelope Barker and the Edenton, NC ladies--created their own proclamation promising to boycott importation of cloth and tea from England, along with their own little tea party demonstration<br />
*Faith Robinson Trumbull--wife of the Governor of Connecticut, urged the people of her parish to donate to the American soldiers, giving the cloak she received from Rochambeau (the French commander)<br />
*Prudence Wright--organized the women of her village in dressing in their men's clothing and carrying guns to defend the bridge at Groton against the British<br />
*The Livingston women--married to all the most influential New York politicians, their letter writing to most of the founding fathers is cited by Linda Kerber and Mary Beth Norton as an example of women actively campaigning for independence and writing persuasively to their family and friends, who happened to be the leading law makers and decision makers in their colony's politics, making them comparable to the tired and favored example of Mercy Otis Warren.<br />
Furthermore, while we need to be careful to recognize the effects of the horrors of war on women's lives during the Revolution, women who acted heroically deserve to have their stories told without being dismissed as simply exceptions or romantic stories, because history textbooks are filled with the stories of men who are also exceptions (George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin). While it is quite necessary to convey to students the exceptional nature of these women's experiences and it's impossible for Dr. McClurken--or any other professor or teacher--to address the majority of these accounts with current curriculum requirements, they deserve to be remembered, and I consider this a small attempt to add to the individual stories we've begun classes with. <br />
--A. Meyer<br />
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I also found Phillis Wheatley's poem to be particularly memorable. I am surprised that her master, John Wheatley, allowed her the education she received. I am curious of his intentions in allowing for this. The poem included exemplifies the power of satire. As a fan of modern satirical programming, I can appreciate the strength of its belied impact. In the case of Phillis Wheatley, she seems to have left her poem raveled in such cleverness that its true meanings may only be known to her. As such, it would carry importance based upon the interpretation of those reading it, a very effective method indeed. --Robert Kopp</div>72.82.68.57 Deprecated: header(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($response_code) of type int is deprecated in /home/umwhisto/public_html/mcclurken/wiki/includes/WebResponse.php on line 38