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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=KatieMcClurken Wiki - User contributions [en]2026-09-18T23:04:38ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.22.0https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_14_Questions/CommentsWeek 14 Questions/Comments2007-11-29T04:15:49Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I enjoyed reading the account of Louisa May Alcott in Woloch when she was describing her period of nursing in the hospital. I knew that the conditions were bad but reading that account really made it clearer what they had to deal with, such as the lack of ventilation, which of course would not have helped the wounded and sick heal.- Elizabeth Lynn Frank<br />
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I also found Alcott's journal interesting because she seems to be a woman looking for opportunity. She writes of "pent up energy" and a want of "new experiences." She seemed to have personal hopes the exceed what was allowed for women in the doctrine of separate spheres. Alcott took advantage of the war to gain new experiences.--Kelly Martin <br />
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Alcott's journal seems to shed light on who these women nurses actually were. I typically find myself going along with the static ideas we may have about what they thought and felt, but this really shows their character behind the facade of who they are, as well as give insight as to what they were going through, why they were, and what kept them going. "Though often homesick, heartsick, and worn out, I like it, find real pleasure in comforting, tending, and cheering these poor souls who seem to love me..." and "Up at six, dress by gaslight, run through my ward and throw up windows... poke the fire, add blankets, joke, coax, and command." She also shows the affection nurses grew to have for their patients, at one point calling them her "big babies" and "my boys" which I thought was cute and funny. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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Alcott's piece also shows how a certain type of women were attracted to the nursing profession: young, single, and adventurous. -- F. Cobb<br />
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Having long been an admirer of Louisa May Alcott's writings I was thrilled and facinated to read her journal about her time as a nurse. Her writing style was such that you can almost see what she was seeing and feel what she felt. It was also an example of what we talked about in class, women taking opportunities to go and do something that they otherwise would not have and that they were just as susceptible to illness as their patients. --Mary P.<br />
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Alcott's journal was so interesting. What a great view into why a woman would become a nurse. Its so interesting that she saw this not only as a way to help her country, but also as a way to help her family (by giving them one less mouth to feed). It is also interesting that she sees becoming a nurse as "taking my life in my hand." Obviously the women saw themselves as making just as much of a sacrifice as male soldiers. -- Allison Johnson <br />
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Since the men have left/ Women take over the farm/ We do what we must. (Inspired by "Northern Women on Farms"; he did say we could do haikus). I liked reading this account because to me it shows how much women were willing to change in some cases in order to adjust to the men leaving for war and in order to make the farm continue to succeed. These women were great motivators, or could have been if they had encouraged others to do the same.- Elizabeth Lynn Frank<br />
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After reading Clarissa Burdett's affidavit, I was surprised that Burdett would run away and leave her children behind, potentially to suffer the same abuse she endured. Because Burdett's torture was the punishment for her husband and niece's running away, wouldn't Burdett's running away cause the master to be especially cruel to her children?-- Kelly Martin<br />
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I can only imagine the pain and anguish that Clarissa Burdett experienced. That said, I would think that she had to make a descision at that moment, to run away to to be potentialy beaten to death. If her master beats her to death there is still no one there to protect her children. She knew that she could not take them with her, so she made the desicion to leave them and sought help from the Union army to help her remove her children from the situation. I wish that we could know from the readings what became of her and her children, but in my opinion she choose the only option that she thought was available to her that was in the potential best interest of her and her children. --Mary P.<br />
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In Eva Jones' letters, there was one thing she said that seemed to emphasize what we discussed in class as to the shock of some southerns that their slaves were not in fact happy and left. "Adelline, Grace, and Polly have all departed in search of freedom, without bidding any of us an affectionate adieu." -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I found Eva Jones's letters interesting because they presented a perspective I had never considered before: that of the wealthy Southern white woman. I would not usually think of these women as victims, but, as was mentioned in class, they experienced dramatic changes after the end of the war. I even pitied Jones when she wrote, "I expect before long to become a very efficient chambermaid and seamstress, though the latter comes very hard to my poor unused fingers." It must have been a difficult transition for women used to commanding slaves rather than doing their own domestic labor. -- Ashley H. <br />
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I found Eva Jones' entry quite insightful. She mentions some of her slaves voluntarily stayed after the War, which brings about a question I have always pondered and hope that perhaps someone can shed some light on, why did slaves remain on plantations with their masters and mistresses? How often did this occur? Is it mainly a phenomenon seen with elderly slaves who could not travel or start fresh?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I was surprised by the women who strongly criticized other women following the Civil War, did they do this only because they were unable to directly attack men? - F. Cobb<br />
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In Mary Anderson's story, I'm surprised to hear of how many slaves actually returned to their former masters' homes. She said that once she and a large portion of her family moved back, she got married and had several kids, but she doesn't mention what life was like or how they lived. I assume that this was maybe a sharecropping arrangement? -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I know I've commented a lot already, but I was just so struck by Ada Bacot's comments that I had to comment at least one more time. She vehemently hates the two Yankee soldiers that were wounded and placed in her ward. "It will be hard to treat them as I do the other men but I know it is my duty." So despite her hatred, she does what she has to do as a nurse. But the last line emphasizes that hatred when she says, "I have never inquired there names nor do I intend to." Ouch. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I found Ada Bacot's Comments on Two Wounded Yankees interesting. She comments that it is her duty to care for the wounded Yankee soldiers though it troubles her to do so. This just reaffirms the concept that women came to the front during the war and embraced a sense of duty--for some this was caring for men despite their Yankee or Confederate affiliation. --E. Hufford<br />
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I was surprised to read Sarah Morgan's account especially when she said, "But if I can't fight, being unfortunately a woman, which I now regret for the first time in my life...." I found this to be quite a radical statment considering the societal ideology of a woman's place. How many other women felt this way at the time of war? --E. Hufford<br />
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I too found Sarah Morgan's statement, "But if I can't fight, being unfortunately a woman, which I now regret for the first time in my life....", a bit radical considering a woman's place in society at the time.-Katie D.<br />
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I thought Cornelia Hancock's account in Major Problems was intersting. What I thought was particularly interesting was how Hancock could handle the sight of blood and watch amputations take place, but when she had to write home for a soldier, she couldn't do so without crying. I guess she had seen so many amputation take place that they no longer bothered her. I also want to know what kind of qualifications that a man needed to be a surgeon. To be a surgeon would a man have to already be a practicing doctor or could a surgeon be anyone willing to do the job? ~Katherine Stinson~<br />
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I really liked the accounts written by the nurses during the Civil War, particularly the account written by Maria Daly who was a New Yorker. Her details of the Southern nurses really emphasizes how little they wanted to be there and how different cultures were between the north and the south. One thing that really stuck out to me was the line, "I lose all patience when I think of these demonic Southern women, whose pride and arrogance have had so much to do with this fearful state of things." It just makes it so much clearer the difference between northern women and southern women. -Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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Sarah Morgan's declaration of being a rebel also intrigued me quite a bit. I remember during the lecture how women in the South practically (totally) forced their male relatives to fight in the war, and this declaration just seemed to be the epitome of that. She seems so enthusiastic to be a Southerner that I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up dressing like a man to go fight or threw her male relatives onto the fields. Although she mentions that she was hesitant about the war at first, he attitude seems completely changed and it makes me wonder if this was a result of propaganda and public opinion, or if she was trying to boost moral for other southerners? -Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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I enjoyed Lincoln's comments on the contributions of women: "I have never studied the art of paying compliments to women. But I must say that if all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the world in praise of women, was applied to the women of America, it would not do them justice for their conduct during this war. I will close by saying, God bless the women of America!" I'm not sure I have anything to say about it; I just thought it was a pretty fantastic quote. -Ashley H.<br />
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Mary Livermore's writing in Major Problems was interesting because she believes that the heroism and unity of women during the Civil War was comparable to that of the men that were center stage doing the fighting. I think it was meant to be uplifting for women at the time. She wanted to show that women did play an important role as caretakers in the Civil War. -- Jennifer Feldhaus<br />
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Ada was not uncommon in her feelings towards the Yankee soldiers. Newspapers in the South tended to portray Yankees as “The Northern serpent, who has penetrated the Southern Eden… proposes to harm no one--to disturb nobody's private rights....” The newspapers insinuated how no one will forget “the cruelties practised [sic] upon our loyal and true citizens, the brutal treatment of women….” The quotes were taken from Virginia Center for Digital History, “Staunton Spectator,” The Valley of the Shadow, http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/newspapersp2.html. ---Cheryl<br />
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There seems to be a sense of fear in Louticia Jackson's letter about her slave Willes continual disobedience. Her last line reads: "He does seem so wicked [that] if any one was to come upon him about his conduct I do not know what he would do afterwards." When I consider how black male slaves were viewed by people as ready to commit any terrible crime, such as raping a helpless white woman, her fear does really seem really deeply felt. There really doesn't seem like there is anything she can do...its not like she could easily go get her neighbors to come and help. In a way, power has shifted to the slaves in a sort of hidden way. -Christopher Plummer<br />
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In "Teaching the Freedmen", Sarah Chase claims to have 140 pupils. This seems like an outrageously high number. Was such a large student:teacher ratio common in these post-war schools?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I wrote my paper on Louisa May Alcott so I was familiar with her diary describing her experience as an army nurse during the Civil War. Alcott fell very ill while working and it took her almost three months to recuperate after she returned home. Even though her work almost killed her Louisa continued to help in the war effort in any way that she could. For instance she rallied other women in Concord to sew for the soldiers. –Caitlin Quinn</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_12_Questions/CommentsWeek 12 Questions/Comments2007-11-14T20:59:15Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>In Woloch's reading, (O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!), Maria Stewart, a black Bostonian, played a special role in public life and women's history. When the abolitionist movement began, William Lloyd Garrison published some of her essays in his antislavery journal. In her essays, I really liked how Stewart urged women to pursue self-improvement and assert their rights. A lot of her message was aimed at African American women. -Katie D.<br />
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When reading Lucy Stone's Marriage Protest, in Woloch's book, I found it interesting that when the couple took their vows, each partner signed a unique marriage "protest". This protest was also read as part of their ceremony! -Katie D.<br />
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When I read the piece, "Seduced and Abandoned," in the Woloch book, I could not help but start laughing. I understand that it is not a laughing matter that girl was abandoned by her "fiance" and had to become a prostitute, but the way in which it was written screamed propaganda. The way the innocent girl from the country was persuaded to elope by a villain from the city and then was decoyed into becoming a prostitute only until meeting up with a wholesome man from her hometown is just too unreal. It is amazing how this scenario is consistently used and tweaked to support different causes. But it really shows how the moral reform movement was determined to deliver people to the side of God and how women were at the forefront since the piece was obviously written by a woman. -Kelly Wuyscik</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_12_Questions/CommentsWeek 12 Questions/Comments2007-11-14T20:58:56Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>In Woloch's reading, (O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!), Maria Stewart, a black Bostonian, played a special role in public life and women's history. When the abolitionist movement began, William Lloyd Garrison published some of her essays in his antislavery journal. In her essays, I really liked how Stewart urged women to pursue self-improvement and assert their rights. A lot of her message was aimed at African American women. -Katie D.<br />
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When reading Lucy Stone's Marriage Protest, in Woloch's book, I found it interesting that when the couple took their vows, each partner signed a unique marriage "protest". This protest was also read as part of their ceremony. -Katie D.<br />
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When I read the piece, "Seduced and Abandoned," in the Woloch book, I could not help but start laughing. I understand that it is not a laughing matter that girl was abandoned by her "fiance" and had to become a prostitute, but the way in which it was written screamed propaganda. The way the innocent girl from the country was persuaded to elope by a villain from the city and then was decoyed into becoming a prostitute only until meeting up with a wholesome man from her hometown is just too unreal. It is amazing how this scenario is consistently used and tweaked to support different causes. But it really shows how the moral reform movement was determined to deliver people to the side of God and how women were at the forefront since the piece was obviously written by a woman. -Kelly Wuyscik</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_12_Questions/CommentsWeek 12 Questions/Comments2007-11-14T20:42:20Z<p>Katie: New page: In Woloch's reading, (O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!), Maria Stewart, a black Bostonian, played a special role in public life and women's history. When the abolitionist movement began, ...</p>
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<div>In Woloch's reading, (O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!), Maria Stewart, a black Bostonian, played a special role in public life and women's history. When the abolitionist movement began, William Lloyd Garrison published some of her essays in his antislavery journal. In her essays, I really liked how Stewart urged women to pursue self-improvement and assert their rights. A lot of her message was aimed at African American women. -Katie D.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_10_Questions/CommentsWeek 10 Questions/Comments2007-10-31T14:26:13Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>Woloch’s book--I found the reading The Cruel Mistress, to be a form of abolitionist propaganda to raise the argument about how inhumane slavery is. Angelina Grimke Weld would give great credibility to the abolitionist movement because of her observations of the southern community as she was once a southern herself. These observations are highly detailed as if it was fresh from her memories yet these accounts in her memories are at least fourteen years old. Thus it begs the question, did these mistresses really conduct themselves this way according to what Weld had witnessed? Are her memories that reliable? Or are these observations, in how mistresses treated their slaves, facts or exaggerations of the facts? –John Furner <br />
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I think it is likely that these mistresses did conduct themselves in a way very similar to Weld's accounts even though a decent amount of time had passed between when she had witnessed the actions and when she recorded them for publishing. The treatment that she described I believe was very common of the slave owners to not see their slaves as fully human and therefore not treat them as such. However, the treatment that stood out most to me during this entry was how the mistress would not beat the slaves herself but have that slave's brother or sister beat them. I would think this would make them want to act out more.- Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Woloch’ Book—Reading Louisa S. Cheeves McCord attack on Stowe was a bit difficult to swallow. It seems to me that she plays right into the Patriarchal system of having to assume the role to take care of those less fortunate. Otherwise, she attempts to give credence to southern white man’s burden for the purpose to have slaves. I find it amusing when she writes, “We proclaim it, on the contrary, a Godlike dispensation, a providential caring for the weak, and a refuge for the portionless.” (219) Why I find this amusing is that she believes the white race must assume a god like status in the care of the less fortunate, thereby the less fortunate group could only prosper in a civilized world, if they were enslaved by the white race; white man’s burden. However, if the white race were so godlike or given providence as she claims, then why are southern slave owners dependant on slaves for their very existence?—John Furner<br />
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I had a hard time understanding McCord's arguments. She put forth a conservative viewpoint that did not necessarily match her own power. McCord was educated, managed her own plantation with 200 slaves (until her marriage) and had a public forum for her opinions. She received most of her education in the North. Knowing how deep racism was ingrained in the southern lifestyle, I still expected a more enlightened view from a woman of such independence. -- Kelly Martin<br />
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In this week’s readings we see the cruelty of slavery for women, through the abuse and sexual exploitation of black women. Even whites were morally opposed to the institution of slavery as seen by Mary Chestnut’s diary. I was taken back by the popularity of masters forcing sexual relations between men and women. I knew it was a practice, however I was under the impression that slave breeding was not very popular, and mostly masters relied on natural reproduction. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of slave breeding? In the essay by Jennings, she explicitly discusses the role of white, slave owners in the sexual abuse of women. Did masters rape and abuse women simply because they could or did the sexual stereotypes of African American women of the time (“animal – like”, foreign, African queens, exotic, sexually aggressive, etc.) play into it? How did mistresses react to the relationships between masters and female slaves and illegitimate children? Are there examples of mistresses mistreating a woman she suspected was sleeping with her husband (I know Weld discusses the “cruel mistress” but I did not get the impression that her violence was deemed inappropriate or based on accusations of infidelity). Was there any advantage(s) to sleeping with the master? -Mary Beth D.<br />
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Going along with Mary Beth, having to do with the cruelty of slavery for women, through the abuse of black men...I too was taken back by the popularity of masters forcing sexual relations between men and women, and thought it was less popular than portrayed in the reading. It was a bit of a surprise to me...-Katie D.<br />
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In Rose William's Story, that deals with an important issue of the extent to which slave owners interfered in slave familty life and encouraged slaves to reproduce...I enjoyed reading how it was in a woman slave's self-interest to have children, and child bearing increased her value as a slave and thereby diminished the liklihood of her sale and separation from family members. It was in the owners interest to encourage reproduction and thereby increase the extent of his slave property.-Katie D.<br />
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In the readings one of the things that stood out the most to me was in Modern Problems the article by Mrs. Virgina Hayes Shepard when she mentions Diana. I was surprised to see that when the master went to Diana to have sexual relations with her Diana actually went to her mistress for help. I thought that white mistresses would react badly to the idea that their husbands would be sleeping with the slaves but in DIana's case the mistress sympathized instead of becoming angry. It is stated that in part this is because she was also afraid of her husband. Is it possible that this is more common than we know because both the slave women and the mistresses were scared to bring it up?- Elizabeth Frank<br />
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I think that Diana would be the exception to the rule. In class we talked about how severe racial hierarchy was and while both women and African Americans were oppressed they did not form a bond. I think that white women more frequently used slaves to exercise the limited power to which they had access (like in Cruel Mistress). -Kelly Martin<br />
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I thought the document titled "Lucinda, a Free Woman, Asks to Be Reenslaved" was really interesting. She probably thought about what her life would be like for her as a free Black woman, and she probably realized that there weren't that she wouldn't have a very good life. Her life as a slave might be slightly better than her life as a free Black woman because as a slave she was with her husband, had a small place to live and got some food. Her situation is similar to the situation of some criminals today. Sometimes criminals who have just been released from jail want to go right back to jail, because they might have a better life in jail than out of it. In jail, they at least have a roof over their head and food to eat. ~Katherine Stinson~</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_9_Questions/CommentsWeek 9 Questions/Comments2007-10-24T19:35:42Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I’m rather amazed with the strict order imposed on a middle class housewife, as read in Catharine Beecher’s “System and Order”. Each day of the week is filled with a specific chore that is repeated the following week. It seems like such a lifestyle would become repetitious and mundane, yet Beecher refers to this “taste for regularity” as a “blessing”. How come?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I also found the piece “System and Order” by Catharine Beecher very interesting. The idea of a system for household duties and turning the house into a well-functioning, successful entity I think is reflective of the shifts going on in society. The shift from home production to office/factory production, the shift from agricultural, home-made/imported goods to finished goods made in factories, and the shift of men outside the home are all reflected in this piece. This piece reminded me of another piece I read in another class about time and how the introduction of clocks and watches placed an added stress to productivity both in factories and in the home. Similarly, women were expected to budget their time, assigning a specific amount of time per task. Beecher recommends dividing the tasks, spreading them throughout the week, and using children as a means to be more productive. Do these self-help manuals place more stress on women to live up to an ideal? Do you think Beecher’s advice intimidates women? How often was this advice practiced or did it remain an ideal? Do we see any similarities between Beecher’s advice and modern day life? –Mary Beth Dillane <br />
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When reading "System and Order", I found it very intersting when they said that "the success of democratic institutions all depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the mass of the people...It is equally conceded that the formation of the moral and intellectual character of the young is committed mainly to the female hand...Let the woman of a country be made virtuous and intelligent, and the men will certainly be the same. The proper education of a man decides the welfare of an individual; but educate a women, and the interests of a whole family are secured..." This is quite the assumption here.--Katie D.<br />
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When reading the “Reports on Western Schools” letters from two teachers to Catharine Beecher, it is interesting to see the stark contrast of experiences. The first teacher seems to have zero amenities. She uses a “single board for a writing desk, a few bricks for andirons, and a stick of wood for shovel and tongs”. Some of her students are so poor they cannot afford shoes. She makes subtle hints that she is in need of money for purchasing suitable books, maps, slates, pencils, and paper, but we never read if she ever received any assistance. The other teacher had a new schoolhouse built for her which included writing desks and a black board. It is obvious that she is fairly well off in her new surroundings. Surprisingly, we find out that she has received some money from Mrs. Beecher which she used to purchase soap, candles, and a privacy screen. What would provoke Mrs. Beecher to give money to one of her pupils to spend personally while her other pupil is struggling to afford necessities to develop a decent school?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I also found it interesting, in "Reports on Western Schools", to see such a contrast in these teachers experiences. I too was wondering, along with Lisa,...if one teacher had very little ameneties, and the other was so well off...why did Mrs. Beecher give money to the teacher that was well off,to spend personally, when the other teacher was struggling to provide even a descent school?--Katie D.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_9_Questions/CommentsWeek 9 Questions/Comments2007-10-24T19:24:57Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I’m rather amazed with the strict order imposed on a middle class housewife, as read in Catharine Beecher’s “System and Order”. Each day of the week is filled with a specific chore that is repeated the following week. It seems like such a lifestyle would become repetitious and mundane, yet Beecher refers to this “taste for regularity” as a “blessing”. How come?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I also found the piece “System and Order” by Catharine Beecher very interesting. The idea of a system for household duties and turning the house into a well-functioning, successful entity I think is reflective of the shifts going on in society. The shift from home production to office/factory production, the shift from agricultural, home-made/imported goods to finished goods made in factories, and the shift of men outside the home are all reflected in this piece. This piece reminded me of another piece I read in another class about time and how the introduction of clocks and watches placed an added stress to productivity both in factories and in the home. Similarly, women were expected to budget their time, assigning a specific amount of time per task. Beecher recommends dividing the tasks, spreading them throughout the week, and using children as a means to be more productive. Do these self-help manuals place more stress on women to live up to an ideal? Do you think Beecher’s advice intimidates women? How often was this advice practiced or did it remain an ideal? Do we see any similarities between Beecher’s advice and modern day life? –Mary Beth Dillane <br />
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When reading "System and Order", I found it very intersting when they said that "the success of democratic institutions all depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the mass of the people...It is equally conceded that the formation of the moral and intellectual character of the young is committed mainly to the female hand...Let the woman of a country be made virtuous and intelligent, and the men will certainly be the same. The proper education of a man decides the welfare of an individual; but educate a women, and the interests of a whole family are secured..." This is quite the assumption here.--Katie D.<br />
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When reading the “Reports on Western Schools” letters from two teachers to Catharine Beecher, it is interesting to see the stark contrast of experiences. The first teacher seems to have zero amenities. She uses a “single board for a writing desk, a few bricks for andirons, and a stick of wood for shovel and tongs”. Some of her students are so poor they cannot afford shoes. She makes subtle hints that she is in need of money for purchasing suitable books, maps, slates, pencils, and paper, but we never read if she ever received any assistance. The other teacher had a new schoolhouse built for her which included writing desks and a black board. It is obvious that she is fairly well off in her new surroundings. Surprisingly, we find out that she has received some money from Mrs. Beecher which she used to purchase soap, candles, and a privacy screen. What would provoke Mrs. Beecher to give money to one of her pupils to spend personally while her other pupil is struggling to afford necessities to develop a decent school?- Lisa Wilkerson</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_8_Questions/CommentsWeek 8 Questions/Comments2007-10-17T20:14:54Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I found it interesting in ''Women Alone: Property and Personalism'' how women expressed their displeasure with family members openly in their wills by leaving them out or adding conditions to the inheritance. Meanwhile men, when writing their wills, adhered to a basic format. I liked how the author made clear that even though women were limited in their influence and power in legal and political rights, they asserted their power through their wills. - Elizabeth Frank <br />
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I too though it was very interesting how women openly expressed their displeasure in their wills by leaving them out or adding conditions to the inheritance, and as for the men, they just followed a simple format. These women finally got the change to assert their power through their wills, something that they never got the chance to do before...as far as political and legal rights are concerned. -Katie D.<br />
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In Woloch's book, Malefactors and Complainants, Women were very active participants in the New England county courts, where they appeared in several capacities. It was interesting to me that occasionally wives served as attorneys for their husbands;colonies that accepted this practice did so on the grounds that the wife was legally an extension of her husband. -Katie D.<br />
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In Woloch we are shown that in New England it was easier for women to receive a divorce from the courts than it was in the Chesapeake region. I actually found this surprising. Because New England was formed around strict religious ideals I expected that divorce would be harder to get approved of. I understand that divorce was given based on if a woman was abused, if adultery was committed or if a wife or husband was left for an extended period without contact from the other. HOWEVER, why was it less difficult to get a divorce in a region with such strong foundations in religion? I feel like I'm missing a connection someplace in there.- Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Elizabeth I think it would be interesting to study how many cases were brought to court and how many divorces were actually approved. While we see New England as strange for allowing divorce in such a strict, Puritan society we are not fully aware of how common the practice was or how easy of a time an abused or neglected woman had winning her case. Another section in Woloch I found fascinating was this idea of Feme Sole Traders which allowed married women to engage in businesses. I thought it was interesting how South Carolina had more "liberal laws." What could be a motive for that? Did a particular trade lend itself to this idea of Feme Sole Traders? How common was the practice? Was it socially unacceptable to take economic matters into one's own hands and not leave it up to the man? --Mary Beth Dillane<br />
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I'm curious about how sentencing for crimes may have been affected by gender.For example, the reading mentions that Mary Chelson was whipped and had to pay a fee for "committing of fornication.... and having a bastard childe." In the trial Chelson named the father of her child, what would his punishment have been?-- Kelly Martin</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_8_Questions/CommentsWeek 8 Questions/Comments2007-10-17T20:04:50Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I found it interesting in ''Women Alone: Property and Personalism'' how women expressed their displeasure with family members openly in their wills by leaving them out or adding conditions to the inheritance. Meanwhile men, when writing their wills, adhered to a basic format. I liked how the author made clear that even though women were limited in their influence and power in legal and political rights, they asserted their power through their wills. - Elizabeth Frank <br />
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I too though it was very interesting how women openly expressed their displeasure in their wills by leaving them out or adding conditions to the inheritance, and as for the men, they just followed a simple format. These women finally got the change to assert their power through their wills, something that they never got the chance to do before...as far as political and legal rights are concerned. -Katie D.<br />
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In Woloch we are shown that in New England it was easier for women to receive a divorce from the courts than it was in the Chesapeake region. I actually found this surprising. Because New England was formed around strict religious ideals I expected that divorce would be harder to get approved of. I understand that divorce was given based on if a woman was abused, if adultery was committed or if a wife or husband was left for an extended period without contact from the other. HOWEVER, why was it less difficult to get a divorce in a region with such strong foundations in religion? I feel like I'm missing a connection someplace in there.- Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Elizabeth I think it would be interesting to study how many cases were brought to court and how many divorces were actually approved. While we see New England as strange for allowing divorce in such a strict, Puritan society we are not fully aware of how common the practice was or how easy of a time an abused or neglected woman had winning her case. Another section in Woloch I found fascinating was this idea of Feme Sole Traders which allowed married women to engage in businesses. I thought it was interesting how South Carolina had more "liberal laws." What could be a motive for that? Did a particular trade lend itself to this idea of Feme Sole Traders? How common was the practice? Was it socially unacceptable to take economic matters into one's own hands and not leave it up to the man? --Mary Beth Dillane<br />
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I'm curious about how sentencing for crimes may have been affected by gender.For example, the reading mentions that Mary Chelson was whipped and had to pay a fee for "committing of fornication.... and having a bastard childe." In the trial Chelson named the father of her child, what would his punishment have been?-- Kelly Martin</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_7_Questions/CommentsWeek 7 Questions/Comments2007-10-09T17:06:19Z<p>Katie: New page: 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 ...</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.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_6_Questions/CommentsWeek 6 Questions/Comments2007-10-03T19:28:16Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>In the reading by Eve Korkfield titled Judith Sargent Murray: The Story of Margaretta, I thought it was interesting, while tracing her education, that Mr. Vigillius's wife pronounced her to be "a perfect mistress; her knowledge of the English, and French tongues, was fully adequate to her years; and her manner of reading had peculiar charms; her handwriting was neat and easy; she was a good accomptant...and much more. Margaretta was quite the accomplisher! - Katie D.<br />
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In the reading from Catherine Scholten, it was interesting to me how during the colonial period pregnant women were commonly thought of as "breeding" and "teeming", though theologians attributed dignity to carrying the "living soul" of a child. -Katie D.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_6_Questions/CommentsWeek 6 Questions/Comments2007-10-03T19:10:14Z<p>Katie: New page: In the reading by Eve Korkfield titled Judith Sargent Murray: The Story of Margaretta, I thought it was interesting, while tracing her education, that Mr. Vigillius's wife pronounced her t...</p>
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<div>In the reading by Eve Korkfield titled Judith Sargent Murray: The Story of Margaretta, I thought it was interesting, while tracing her education, that Mr. Vigillius's wife pronounced her to be "a perfect mistress; her knowledge of the English, and French tongues, was fully adequate to her years; and her manner of reading had peculiar charms; her handwriting was neat and easy; she was a good accomptant...and much more. Margaretta was quite the accomplisher! - Katie D.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_5_Questions/CommentsWeek 5 Questions/Comments2007-09-26T19:34:24Z<p>Katie: </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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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.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_4_Questions/CommentsWeek 4 Questions/Comments2007-09-20T11:41:28Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I found David Brainerd’s “A Remarkable Instance of Awakening” to be implausible. His accounts focused on the ideal response when converting non-believers i.e. confession of sin and realization of God’s power. These outcomes seem almost too good to be legitimate. The one example that threw a red flag up for me was when he said a young Indian convert of his laid flat on the ground after his service praying incessantly in her native language which he translated as, “have mercy on me, and help me to give you my heart”. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate form of flattery if your sermons were so good that they could make someone publicly display such compassion?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I got extremely frustrated while reading the examination of Abigail Hobbs at Salem Prison under “The ‘Casco Girls’ Accuse George Burroughs, 1692” in MP. First off, Abigail’s testimony contradicts itself so many times that it becomes quite obvious, at least to me, that she is lying. Why wasn’t this obvious to the Judge? Why wasn’t faulty testimony penalized? I thought these accusers were supposed to be hard-nosed Christians. If this were true how did they live with themselves knowing they committed a sin (LYING) in order to convict an innocent person?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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Lisa, in response to your question as to why none of the judges were bothered by the obvious contradictions in Abigail's testimony, you have to remember that she was acting out physically (distracting) and believing her was convenient to the judges for political reasons. --A.Meyer <br />
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I agree with A.Meyer about Abigial's testimony. I also think that these people had an agenda and they were going to use whatever means necissary to achieve their aims and they did not stop to think that they were accusing innocent people. It was an opportunity for them to prove their worth in the community. Also why would they think she was lying? In their minds they probably just saw a young girl who had been traumatized. They would have probably made up all sorts of excuses as to why her story was changing, the horror of the even and all that. In addition, I believe it was mentioned in class that these girls could have been suffering from "conversion hysteria." As far as she knew perhaps she was telling the truth and she thought she was doing her Christian duty by accusing these people of witchcraft.--Mary P.<br />
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Do you believe there is enough evidence of a connection to the threat of Indian raids to support Norton's theory about the Casco Bay connection to Salem? Does this make the idea of conversion hysteria more understandable? When I read Norton's In the Devil's Snare for another class last year(the longer book version of this essay) I was left wondering if the some of the Casco girls were more suffering from trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. --A. Meyer <br />
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I found "Landon Carter Complains About His Female Slaves, 1771-1773" in Major Problems page 82 & 83 rather shocking for many obvious reasons. Beyond this, the disparity between the treatment of African women and white women of the period is frightful. While colonial women may have had little power, it pales in comparison to the hopelessly bleak situation of the African female. I am sure that cowkeeping was not commonly thought to be a female task of the period. This task, along with many others, also carried the promise of whipping for failure. Based on the writing, it seems to be believe that whipping was the only cure for "poor" behavior. The same ideals of female submission were also applied with greater force, illustrated in the writing "The mother and sister fell on Beale when he went to apply my Prescription; but by the stumps of the switches they got also cured of their rebellious impudence..." (MP 83) It was with slavery that the submission of a race, especially with a focus to the women, was to be furthered. --Robert Kopp<br />
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This is in response about Landon Carter’s account of cowkeeping. Unfortunately, we don’t know the whole story as to why Sicely neglected her task. We only have Landon Carter’s account of the ordeal. Thus we are looking at this situation through the eyes of Landon Carter. How do we know if he didn’t manipulate or exaggerate this account to his benefit? May be he cried when his cow died. Perhaps Sicely had better things to do with her time than to cowkeep. Landon Carter did mention that she took a nap, perhaps she had a late night gathering of friends and relatives as this was the only time she could exert her freedom and her individuality from the day’s mindless tasks. Or maybe she was simply defiant to authority and paid no mind to her tasks regardless of the punishment. This may be her way to exert her freedom at the cost of getting the whip. I wish I could read her account of this situation maybe it would shed more light about her perceptions of slavery, her feelings,doubts, and insecurities then we would have the overall picture instead of a one sided view of an Elite.—John Furner<br />
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I agree it is a shame we don't have the slaves account on all this. Personally after reading Landon Carters complaint's, I believe a saint would even be whipped. This man has seroius power issues and takes them out on those who are not able to defend themselves.--Cheryl<br />
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In MP, page 55, the Trial of Bridget Bishop, I just found it interesting that while she was being "indicted for bewitching of several persons in the neighborhood," that there was "little occasion to prove the witchcraft; it being evident and notorious to all beholders." The girl has no hope! The court says that no real evidence is needed to prove what Bishop has supposedly done because apparently anyone can tell she's a witch. Even then, the court is basing their decision on the opinions of others instead of solid, factual evidence. Although, it's important to note that this took place in 1692 in Salem Town, so this incident sits among many during this "witch hunt." So maybe they were getting witch-convicting happy. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I agree that this selection really shows the hysteria and paranoia of the 1692 trials. It also has several examples of "spectral evidence." The court didn't need real evidence because the spectral evidence was enough for them to convict. - Fiona C.<br />
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Elizabeth Sandwith Drinker (MP page 80) was a wealthy Philadelphian woman. But more than that, she is the textbook stereotype for women of her social class. In her diary, she describes her work and the work of other women around her. This work includes making baby clothes, knitting, plating, ironing, "[measuring] the Girls for Stays," and quilting, among other things. As much as some people would like to branch off from those stereotypes and look at those unique, powerful women, sometimes we just have to accept the fact that those stereotypes we steer away from were true to life back during that time period. -- Vanessa Smiley<br />
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I think Eliabeth life is an ideal one. She wants for nothing. She as chances to socialize with her peers. It doesn't appear that she is bored. It makes me wonder why anyone would want to steer away from that sterotype.--Cheryl<br />
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I don't really agree with that statement. I don't think we can tell from her diary because she really didn't include her feelings. It was mostly just a listing of what tasks she does each day. She may have been happy but I don't think we can know from that. --Alex K.<br />
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I also disagree about the ideal life, having read additional excerpts of Drinker's diary. During the Revolution her husband was accused of being a Loyalist and she faced the burdens of running a house with small children as a single parent in an occupied city (with minimal access to provisions). As for steering away from the stereotype, that would be because it was the only woman depicted by historians for so long. The lively heroines who DID THINGS and CHANGED things--like the forgotten Lydia Darragh or Sybil Luddington or Molly Pitchers (yes, I know that wasn't her real name)--have been portrayed as the exception, while the Elizabeth Drinkers and Abigail Adamses have been portrayed as the norm. Yes Dr. McClurken, I realize I got slightly ahead of myself, but substitute that list of women for Anne Hutchinson or Deliverance Hobbes even... There is nothing wrong with the domestic woman, but that is not the man that history portrays, and we need to acknowledge that there is an active female counterpart to the active "great man" of history.--A. Meyer<br />
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When reading Malefactors and Complainants in Woloch, I was wondering why the men who helped the women to fornicate or misbehave don't get into trouble except for the couple who both confessed their guilt together. Weren't women supposed to be the weaker, non intellgent gender in that day and age? Shouldn't the men be getting the punishment, after all they are the smarter ones that were all powerfull.--Cheryl<br />
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Didn't women recieve more blame in sex crimes because of the Biblical tale of Eve? Didn't that story lead colonists to believe that women were temptresses leading men astray?--A. Meyer<br />
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I found the narrative of Old Elizabeth to be quite an emotional one. Though she was one of a kind, her experience as a slave child must have been shared by many. Imagine what it was like to be separated from your family, the only familiar aspect of life in a foreign land. She was willing to risk of the consequences of running away to just see her mother for a short period of time. This is only a fraction of the hardship and heartbreak felt by many other slave families.--E. Hufford<br />
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Landon Carter complains that it is impossible to make his slaves work. Encouragement nor punishment have any effect on his them. Clearly, there was no motivation for them to work. What were they were working toward? Freedom was not an option. Many were separated from their families and in despair. I found it interesting that Carter does not seem to understand this or that he does not want to understand this.--E. Hufford<br />
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I found Karin Wulf's piece interesting because it spoke to those poorer, unmarried or widowed women and how they made ends meet. There were options available for women to earn an income if you fell into those categories. Draper for example was able to be a tavernkeeper. It's interesting how Wulf states, "As independent women, they could act legally and economically in ways that their married sisters, bound to coverture, could not. I wonder if some women took this into account and because of this decided not to marry at all. --Alex K.<br />
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I know as historians we shouldn't ask "what if" but, could Anne Hutchinson have won her trial if she hadn't mentioned that God spoke to her? She was going so strong and then as soon as she said that the Governor replies that "the case is altered" and they immediately banish her. - Fiona C.<br />
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I think that if Anne Hutchinson had not specifically said God spoke to her she would have been acquitted but because of the beliefs of the puritans that God no longer spoke to people directly that admission by her became their whole case against her and was the sole reason for banishment. ~~Mary Beth Conrad<br />
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I think that even if she had not said that God had spoken to her Anne Hutchinson would still have been punished in some way, but perhaps would not have been banished to the far reaches where she would be slain by Indains. The fact remained that she was still an annoyance a thorn in the side of male Puritan church leaders who believed that women should not be leaders in church. She would not have been on trial if people didnt have a problem with her to begin with. However, perhaps she lost some much needed support among her judges with her statement and they were no longer inclined to be linient. --Mary P.<br />
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I agree with Cheryl that the rules seem to contradict themselves when they say that fortification or misbehavior should be punished no matter the gender, and women were punished harsher. But perhaps it goes back to the idea that while men were "smarter" and both admit guilt that it was the woman's fault because of the idea that women were filled with sin, as evidenced in the Bible when Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit (if i remember this is a belief that was still around at that time), and men were easily swayed by women (as perhaps they believed Adam was). So since the original sin in the Bible was committed by a woman, and it was a religious society, perhaps men were less punished because it was believed that they were seduced by the evils of women. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
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I also strongly agree with Elizabeth that the rules seem to contradict themselves when they say that fortification or misbehavior should be punished no matter what gender, and women were punished marsher. Perhaps it was a "womans fault". - Katie D. <br />
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I found it remarkable that Elizabeth Goodman stood up against the townspeople in her New Haven colony who accused her of being a witch. I assumed that these women would be so shocked by the accusations that they would feel powerless to do anything besides wait it out or that they would try to hide instead of face their accusors. Clearly Godman wanted to prove to the court how unfounded the claims against her were. I also was surprised that she wasn’t placed on trial until two years after she first sued. It seems that the justice system was just as slow in the seventeenth century as it is today!—Caitlin Quinn<br />
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I too found it remarkable that Elizabeth Goodman stood up against the townspeople in her New Haven colony who accused her od being a witch. It's a wonder how she found the courage to do that.-Katie D.<br />
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In reading all these witchcraft trials, I'm reminded of the trials in Europe during the early modern period. It was said that you were a wise woman if you worked "white/good" magic but you were a "witch / evil" only if something went wrong and your "magic" didn't work. Was the situation similar in the colonies? --Katelynn V.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_3_Questions/CommentsWeek 3 Questions/Comments2007-09-13T12:24:58Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>In Early American Women, the essay by Susanna Wesely made me feel thankful I was brought up the way I was. I disagree with her methods of controling children. I don't believe in programing children to be the way a parent wishes. I do agree with some of her her principles however. I think children should be praised everytime they behave correctly or are obediant. I believe children should be taught to be respectful to other's property. I don't think children need to be preforming the same routine every day regardless if it is in eating, sleeping ect. In Wesely's essay, she herself noted that when the children had to be at seperate houses when their home was destroyed by fire, that when they were reunited under one roof again, they aquired some bad behaviors. Perhaps if Wesely weren't so strict with her routines and ridgid discipline, her children may have come back with fewer negative influences.--Cheryl<br />
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I definitely agree with Cheryl I was very glad my parents were not that strict. I think what got me the most was how the essay described how the mother would break the free will of the kids. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Wesley is very strict on her children! I agree very much with Cheryl in the sense that maybe if she had other ways of disciplining her children and wasn't so strict, than maybe her children wouldn't have so many negative influences.--Katie D.<br />
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Wesley is certainly strict, and I would not always agree with her methods of punishment. However, she has the children's best interests at heart. She insisted that her children be well-mannered, honest, and educated, qualities which most would agree are necessary (or at least extremely helpful) if one wishes to be a productive, well-respected member of society. I also appreciated her emphasis on girls learning to read. Even if the intent was only to make sure women read the Bible, it's still a step in the right direction. - Ashley Hamilton<br />
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I definitely agree with Ashley on some points. Wesley comes across as being unreasonably strict when it comes to her children's upbringing. However, from her writing we get a sense that she was very proud of her children because they were well behaved, versed in their catechism and prayers. Yet, there are two very imporant ideas which help place Wesley's letter in the context of the period. First and foremost, children and childhood was not viewed in the same light as it is today. Children of the colonial period were still thought of as being 'little adults' and were therefore held to similar standards of behavior as adults. Therefore, Wesley mentions with almost a sense of pride that "the family usually lived in as much quietness as if there had not been a child among them," which correlates with that old, overused belief, 'children should be seen and not heard.' Also, we need to keep in mind that domestic work and the bearing/raising of children was a woman's world during the colonial era. I wonder therefore, if Wesley's actions were dictated by the idea that her children were a reflection of her competency as a mother and wife. Perhaps, the better the more well behaved the children were, the better mother people would presume her to be, what do you think? ---Katelynn V. <br />
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While the essay of Susanna Wesely is very scary thinking about how those children were raised, I have to remember that that way of thinking was probably normal for the time and an acceptable way of thought. But to our modern minds it does seem very barbaric. I did like Eliza Pinckney's letter to herself however and thought that it gave a good insight into the minds of women at the time, especially married women in her social position. Reading what she wrote, some of it women try and apply in their lives today and it does seem to speak through the years. It is that part about making all her actions "Corrispond with that sincere love and Duty I bear him" that we tend to baulk at today. --Mary P.<br />
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>> After reading Eliza's letter to herself it made me want to be her friend, she definitely seemed like a thoughtful person. She remembered nearly EVERYONE in her resolutions. However, I wonder how successful she was at keeping her resolutions. According to the text she read these things daily and reflected upon them (at least that what she said she does). Her piece was a nice contrast the strictness of Susanna Wesley.--> Julie Castanien <br />
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I also think it is important to remember when this document was written. Granted, I would never raise my children this way- and I was not raised this way, obviously! But, this was written in a time when structure and control was normal. Control and structure of social institutions was through the church and the government. All children were representatives of their parents- as we are today- and what would the "gossiping women" say if your children were acting up in the slightest way? We must remember how much pressure there was on women to raise their children. Anything the children did wrong was the mother's fault and she would be socially battered for it. - Talya R. Halpern <br />
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I was also shocked about the strictness of Wesley's account of how she raised her children. Breaking the free will of the kids got me too. But in response Mary's comment that that was the way of thinking then and it was normal I'm not so sure. I'm sure some were that way but could this be an extreme case? Because for example, when she mentioned they acquired bad habits and behaviors when they lived with neighbors for a time. So therefore, not even some others in her own community were as harsh as her. --Alex K.<br />
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What I thought was most interesting about the Wesley article was the fact that she was the mother of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Ever since I was a child, I have been raised in the Methodist church. It is interesting how the religion and its customs have evolved over the past few centuries from the strictest Puritan understanding, where John Wesley believed "the will of the parent is to a little child in the place of the will of God." Wesley's idea, no doubt, was based on his upbringing, on his mother's understanding of child rearing. In effect, the values that Susanna instilled in her son have played an important role in history.~Juliann B.<br />
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I also was very shocked when I read the account of Abigail Bailey and 1) she had 17 kids and 2) her husband tried having a relationship beyond a fatherly one. The account definitely showed how helpless a woman was when discovering her husband doing something wrong. In the intro to the account it says that she got her husband arrested but with the help of her brothers. But would she have been able to have him arrested without her brothers assistance?- Elizabeth Frank<br />
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In the reading Abigail Bailry's "An Abominable Wickedness" it was most shocking to me when I found out that she had 17 children! Abigail was much under the power of her husband, and the narrartor clearly made that a point to show. This could have been because she had absolutley no legal power at the time.--Katie D.<br />
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I, too, was shocked while reading Abigail Bailey's "An Abominable Wickedness" and I agree with Elizabeth that the narrative did show how helpless a woman was under the rule of her husband. Yet, there are two sides to this wifely obedience. A “proper” woman saw it her solemn duty to uphold the marriage covenant and be a kind, faithful, and subservient wife to her husband. However, when the husband has violated the marriage covenant and has behaved immorally, exceptions ensue. All of a sudden, a woman with no rights now has all legal authority in the marriage. She knew divorce and breaking up her family was a sin (imagine how tough this must have been for her to deal with) but once she realized it was not her fault, she placed all guilt and blame on Mr. Bailey. Where was the point when Abigail realized enough was enough and she had to say something? Despite the fact she confronted him long after the first signs of his wrongdoing; many women could have assumed their position and not have said a word. I found it quite empowering to see docile and obedient Abigail become an enlivened woman and mother whose priorities changed; her duty was no longer to her husband but to her children.- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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While a huge part of Abigail Bailey's remaining silent for so long was due to the time period and the fact that she had very little or no legal power, I think we must also recognize that this story could probably be told by someone today. Many women and children are still abused and still feel as though any legal action they took would simply be one person's word against another. Also I think that the footnote is very interesting. Why is it that the editor feels that it is necessary to excuse Abigail's actions. As an abused woman I feel that it is amazing that she spoke up at all, while the editor seems to think that readers might not understand her hesitance. -- Allison Johnson<br />
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I agree. I am an intern at both RCDV (domestic violence place) and RCASA (a sexual assault place) and this kind of story is very common even today. It is very hard for someone to speak up in this situation. I just watched a video on incest actually and the effects are lifechanging. Many child abuse survivors were extremely hurt that there mothers didn't speak up and help them. I think it is amazing she said anything at all, especially for that time. --Alex K.<br />
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I believe Abigail had a good reason to be hesitant. Know one wants to believe they married such a monster that could rape repeatedly is own daughter. I do not blame her for wanting more proof. Women in her day and age were brought up with the notion to love, honor and obey their husbands. It went against everything she believed in to just come forward when she did for the sake of her child.--Cheryl<br />
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I also found it interesting that while Abigail seemed certain of her husband's wrongdoing, she resented her daughter for not coming forward and exposing what he was doing (Woloch 45). Yes, Abigail had a lot at stake for exposing the husband, but ultimately, didn’t the daughter as well? I suppose she didn't have a husband to lose, but couldn't she could be seen as reponsible for breaking up her family as well?--Kaitlyn G.<br />
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I think Kaitlyn makes a really good point. Since divorce was not a common practice Abilgail would have probably worried about the social implications and/or stigma that might be attached to the family if she were to leave her husband. I wonder if the daughter saw that she had more to lose by coming forward because it would label her as being seduced by her father, and there for tainted her in someway. She does not have a husband to lose but coming forward might not encourage other men to think about asking for her hand in marriage. This might happen for a number of reasons, including the unusual relationship she had with her father, or perhaps the idea that she is too outspoken and not obedient. I think the realization of serious social implications shaped the decisions of both Abigal and her daughter. ---Katelynn V.<br />
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I agree with Katelynn's statement about the social implications of public knowledge of the indecent relationship between Mr. Bailey and his daughter. I know the Puritans had a very strict sense of morality and such things as adultery, incest and child abuse were harshly condemned, however, there were many reasons why coming forward with the truth of events was difficult both for Abigail and her daughter. Speaking out against the head of the family, the husband and father, went against their ingrained sense of obedience. Beyond that, what stigmas might Abigail and her daughter suffer from public knowledge of the events? I know in many culture, even in cases of rape, sex before marriage was viewed as a violation of female purity, and in many cases have been punished by death. I wonder what happened to Abigail's daughter in the close-knit Puritan society, after knowledge of her abuse by the hands of her father became public knowledge. Was she blamed or ostricised, looked down upon as unclean, or simply as a victim? After her father left their village, was she able to live a normal life? What about Abigail, how did being a divorced woman affect her position in the Puritan society? ~ Juliann B.<br />
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I want to second the things that several people have already said about how rare it still is for people to speak out and take action against incest or any kind of domestic/familial abuse. I also think Abigail deserves exceptional credit for all she worked through and spoke out against. I also think Kaitlyn raises a good point, but I'm not sure what--short of being accused of encouraging her father's advances or lacking in morals--the daughter would have been blamed for.--A. Meyer<br />
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>> When I was reading the intro piece to Woloch's primary sources I was wondering if there would be a case where the husband and father of the house would fail to live up to his role as the head of the family unit. However this source was still surprising. This man did not just break the rules he went way over the line and it was still difficult for the woman to get out of her situation. As far as the fear that the daughter had in admitting the situation, I must say that I can't blame her-- she must have been very afraid and confused. According to the mother this man totally changed the way he was acting towards his daughter-- he went from the strict father figure (or his expected role) to a suitor in a way (a totally inappropriate role). What was this girl to make out of the situation she had nothing and no one to compare this to? <br />
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I found Martha Ballard’s entry “A Maine Midwife” to be quite insightful. Just by her keeping a very brief journal we are able to calculate birth rates, see some folk remedies, find out when and how people died, and keep up on town news and events. On a sidenote: what’s the deal with all the burnt feet during those first few days in August?- Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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I personally was amused at the first reading in Woloch on "The Duties of Husbands and Wives." While Woloch acknowledges that this is not necessarily how people acted, I couldn't help imagining what it would be like if someone two hundred years from now used one of our articles on relationships to judge the relationships of people at large. The Bullet's Sexclamations article perhaps? It is interesting to keep in mind that the primary sources that we have are just as small portion of what would have existed at this time. -- Allison Johnson<br />
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I believe Abigail had a good reason to be hesitant. Know one wants to believe they married such a monster that could rape repeatedly is own daughter. I do not blame her for wanting more proof. Women in her day and age were brought up with the notion to love, honor and obey their husbands. It went against everything she believed in to just come forward when she did for the sake of her child.--Cheryl<br />
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While reading the article, "To Use Her As His Wife" by Sklar, I noticed a few of the things we discussed in class on Tuesday in practice. The main thing that stuck out for me was how there was never a real record of Martha Root and her story during her court case; everything we know about this case was on account of the male lawyers or the father of Martha's children. This point, in my opinion, really emphasized that most of what we know about colonial women during this time period was somehow influenced by men. -- Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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I totally agree with Kelly about "To Use Her As His WIfe." It touched on what we went over in class and really seemed to personify the idea that women in general are second class citizens as this point. I also found it really interesting, though I was not surprised, was the complete double standard that seemed to be held towards Martha. I mean it took two people to create those children and yet she is the one whose reputation was forever tarnished and her eventual marriage at age 34 was a "last chance" scenario that enabled her to finally get out of town. I also had a question about the idea that a younger sibling doesnt marry before the oldest so there are no two marrigable people of the same sex in the same family. But what happens if one sibling is a perpetual spinster or what if, like in the case of Martha's children, there happened to be twins? --Mary P.<br />
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I found it interesting how fully Sklar researched the lives of Jonathan Edwards and Joseph Hawley. At first I thought it was a bit extreme when she was writing about their grandparents, but then I saw how much of their past and family life shaped their actions and motivations. I think it shows that as historians we need to delve below the surface in order to contrusct a representation that is as accurate as can be. - Fiona C. <br />
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In Sklar's essay I was surprised to read that Edwards, as a minister, argued against the "double standard" and said that Elisha should have to marry Martha regardless of the claims that she was not a virgin and that she seduced him. To me it seems that Edwards and Hawley seized upon the case because they saw it as an opportunity to promote their beliefs (kind of like today). Their insistence might also explain why Martha pushed her claim despite the risk to her reputation and future ability to marry. - Fiona C. <br />
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I really loved the letters between Esther Burr and Sally Prince. The letters were a great way to see the relationships that women of the time could have with each other while at the same time relaying an idea of what daily life was like for these women. I just thought that they were really interesting. --Mary P.<br />
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I agree with Mary about the insight the letters exchanged between Esther Burr and Sally Prince give us. By reading the journals that the two women kept, we historians can catch a glimpse of what life was like (vaguely) from a female's perspective for once and not via a man's perspective. It also emphasizes the point we discussed in class how social life amongst women was very important and how women were at the base of kinship networks. -- Kelly Wuyscik<br />
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I agree with Mary and Kelly. I found the letters between Ester Burr and Sally Prince to be fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the last letter (No. 22), in which Ester discusses having an argument with Mr. Ewing. She says, “(My Tongue, you know, hangs pretty loose, my thoughts Crouded in—so I sputtered away for dear life.) You may Guss what a large field this speech opened for me—I retorted several severe things upon him before he had time to speak again” (Woloch 41). This passage, while it made me laugh, also made me wonder, how typical was it for women to openly argue with men and was it widely accepted?--Kaitlyn G.<br />
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After reading Susanna Wesley’s letter to her son about how to raise children by conquering their will, enforcing strict rules, and teaching them the importance of religion and daily prayer I was surprised to read the 8th rule she had for her household: “that no girl be taught to work till she can read very well; and that she be kept to her work with the same application and for the same time that she was held to reading.” This stood out to me as being a radical idea for the early 1700s and in sharp contrast to the entire message of the piece. I wonder if women saw their daughters not being able to read well and decided to fix the problem by enforcing these types of rules or if Wesley was simply more educated and represented the beginning of social changes that colonial women made in their households. --Caitlin Quinn<br />
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Like Caitlin, I was surprised by rule 8. Maybe because Wesley could obviously write well for her time, she saw education become an advantage in her own life and wished to pass it on. Also, Wesley was obviously a very spiritual person, maybe she wanted young women to read so they could read The Bible? -Kelly Martin<br />
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I agree with Kelly. Religion was one of the most important tenants of Puritan society, thus the Bible was crucial to their education. Even women were expected to be able to read the scripture, so it might guide them in their daily lives. What I thought was interesting is how Susanna Wesley, a woman who could obviously BOTH read AND write, would not mention the ability to write in her letter. Why was it considered important for women to be able to read, but not write? ~ Juliann B.<br />
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While reading the letters of Esther Burr and Sally Prince, I found myself amused by Esther's Letter No. 22. She related her conversation with Mr. Ewing about women. He beleived that women should only converse on subjects they "understood." I loved Esther's thought, "My tongue, you know, hangs pretty loose, thoughts Crouded in-so I sputtered away for dear life." -- E. Hufford<br />
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When reading "To Use Her As His Wife," I was quite impressed with Jonathan Edwards' support for Martha. How many other men at that time would have reacted the same way? I was saddened to learn that his support for Martha did have something to do with his dismissal from the pulpit in 1750. -- E. Hufford <br />
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I was struck by the last paragraph in the sermon "About the Duties of Husbands and Wives." At the very end, after stating how marriages should involve love and tenderness, Wadsworth as if on a side note, mentions that parents should wisely match their children with someone who is "proper." This point seems to have little emphasis in his sermon which mainly seems about loving someone you potentially might not even like. If all of this love and tenderness Wadsworth speaks of should occur shouldn't selecting a spouse with whom you are compatible be a higher priority? --Kelly Martin<br />
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In "About the Duties of Husbands and Wives," Wadsworth advises wives, "Yea, though possibly you have greater abilities of mind than he has, was of some high birth, and he of a more common birth, or did bring more estate, yet since he is your husband, God has made him your head, and set him above you, and made it your duty to love and revere him." I find it interesting that Wadsworth acknowledges the possibility of women being smarter than their husbands. They realized the superiority of some women, yet they used religion as a tool to keep women under control. - Ashley Hamilton <br />
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I found the Wadsworth's article extremely frustrating! It annoyed me that he made the word "government" the husband's possesion. Even though we say that women did not mind per se because that was what they were used to, this does not make sense. How is a woman supposed to comepletely "love, honor , and obey" if she walks into her home and feel like she is walking into a "government." How is this a home? The husband in the governor and what ever he says goes. I know i'm looking at this through our time- but did these women not long for something else. Respect, appreciation, true tender love? A husband being "gentle and easy" does not make it okay. Also the discussion of arguing being the devil's work is a prime example of how religion and soceity had control of women or men speaking their mind. If this was the case today, boy I would be in big trouble! This idea of arguing being the devil's work was away to keep wives from speaking up and telling their husbands how they really felt.- Talya R. Halpern <br />
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I think the role of women and the economy or more accurately the role of women as a labor force brings up some interesting points that ties to some larger themes we have discussed so far. With regards to slavery the role of the mother and inheritance is once again an issue. While we saw that some Native American cultures used the mother as a line of inheritance, when it came to slavery a child’s status as free or slave was determined by the mother. Another idea we have begun to touch upon is the hierarchy of society and women. For instance indentured servants, apprentices, or slaves occupied the same area as their mistresses but the mistress was in charge, in control due to her elevated status. In the introduction paragraph of this chapter Woloch asks questions about women’s work in the pre-industrial economy. One idea that really stuck out to me was this idea of all-women work groups. Could groups of women who worked in the field, who had things in common such as motherhood or the same master constitute the continuation of the theme of kinship we have already established in both Native American culture and Colonial culture? -- Mary Beth Dillane<br />
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The first thing that struck me from Woloch was in the very beginning when she talks about the duties of husbands and wives. While in class we discuss how the woman have no power and really don't exsist as themselves the way the Wadsworth describes it, it sounds touching almost. The quote that stuck out the most to me was, " Yet his government should not be with rigor, haughtiness, harshness, severity, but with the greatest love, gentleness, kindness, tenderness that may be. Though he governs her, he must not treat her as a servant, but as his own flesh; he must love her as himself." (28-29) Now whether or not this truely happened I do not know, however, if women were treated like this I'm not entirely sure they would ever be truely unhappy. Then in Susan Wesley's letter, where she describes her by-laws, the last one being "that no girl be taught to work till she can read very well..." shocked me also. (33) For some reason I was under the impression that a young girls education was never a high priority. Those were just two of things that really stood out to me but the book was full of information that really opened my eyes to what the people were like at that time. -- Emily Miller<br />
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I liked Eliza Pinckney’s list titled “To Improve in Every Virtue” because it gives historians a good idea of what women in Pinckney’s social class were concerned with during the 1750s. She mentions God first, assuring us that religion is a top priority in her life. She also talks about making others happy and striving to be a good wife, mother, and daughter. Many of women’s priorities have shifted in society since the 1750s, while others have stayed the same. I wonder how this list would change if Pinckney had lived in our generation. -- Jennifer Feldhaus<br />
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I also was impressed by how evolved Eliza Pinckney was in “To Improve in Every Virtue” and particularly by the fact that as a teenager she ran her father’s three Carolina plantations. I’m sure she had lots of help but it still seems like such a large responsibility for a young woman. -Caitlin Quinn <br />
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The story about Abigail was most interesting, for a number of reasons. She definitely had alot of children, even by early American standards, but her husband engaged in an incestuous relationship with one of his daughters. I wonder what the punishment for such a thing was? Abigail's statement about the law seemed very revealing about a sense of inadequacy: "It may appear surprising that such wickednes was not checked by legal restraints." Its interesting to see that put in the same chapter with "About The Duties of Husbands and Wives," considering how obviously contradictory Abigail's reality was from the idea of Wadsworth. In the primary source reading, there was a statement about how alot of people do marry the one's they love, and live happily ever after. Of course, happy stories don't seem to be the one's most written about, and not really the most historically useful. The position of women seemed somewhat contradictory, they could divorce in New England, but then they had nothing. Did people realize this as a problem? It would seem they didn't. <br />
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I was most struck by the Spanish government's guidelines regarding honor, a woman's virginity, and marriage. I found the idea that it could be more disgraceful for someone to be married to another person so clearly beyond their social status fascinating. It was interesting to me that class issues outranked the honor/virtue issues related to illegitimate children and premarital sex. Was it really more of an embarrassment to be married to someone not of your caste than be pregnant and unmarried, or is this an example of source bias?--Andrea Meyer<br />
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Woloch's book page 42-46. I can’t even imagine what Abigail must have been going through as she notes the psychological changes in her daughter. She must have felt powerless. What was her perception of justice during this period in history? I can’t even begin to fathom that. At first, she tried to reject this horrible act, but couldn’t. I interpret her account as foreboding fears of reprisals from her husband or the patriarchal institutions. I have great admiration for Abigail, for the anxiety she must have been going through was incredibly overwhelming. But through this terror, she gives us a glimpse of the past in a concise manner to address the ills—the mental and physical abuse that was bestowed upon them by this nasty man. I think Abigail’s detailed account of the behavioral problems she encountered would give insighte in today’s fields such as Sociology, Psychology, and Criminal Science in evaluating domestic and non-domestic abuse in today’s society.—John Furner<br />
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Based upon what Fiona said about Sklar's article, I too wonder how much the possibilities for political and religious advancement played into the importance of the case. It seems that Martha Root was only the required reasoning to set argue a precedent. As is pertinent today, the issues being argued in a case can become far more important than the case itself. It was more of an issue of the cultural changes being on trial, rather than the actual parties. --Robert Kopp<br />
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As I was reading Abigail Bailey's document, I noticed that it said she kicked her husband out after she found out what he was doing to one of their daughters. Was it common back in the 1800s for women to kick their husbands out of the house for doing things like her husband was doing? ~Katherine S.~</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_2_Questions/CommentsWeek 2 Questions/Comments2007-09-05T20:01:17Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I found it interesting in the passage by John Heckewelder( page 30- 33) in Modern Problems where he says that the women's work load was so much lighter than that of the mens. I found this particularly interesting because in one of my classes last semester we read some articles about Europeans reactions to Native American society in Virginia and it said how lazy the European men felt that the Indian men were because it appeared that the women did the majority of the work within the village. I thought it was interesting seeing the different views that this reading exposed. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
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Continuing from what Elizabeth wrote, It is infact very intersting to see how different groups of people play differnt roles, and how each group views those roles played by each gender.--Katie D.<br />
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In Woloch's book, having to do with marriage and treatment of their wives,(p.9-11), I found it intersting how he says that there are many persons who believe, from the labour that they see the Indian women perform, that they are in a manner treated as slaves. These labours, indeed, are hard, compared with the tasks that are imposed upon females in civilized society, but they are no more than their fair share of the hardships attendant on savage life. So they are not only voluntarily, but cheerfully submitted to the work. <br />
--Katie D.<br />
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Throughout the personal narratives we have read, it has become obvious that Europeans thought their way of life to be far more superior to the way of life of the Natives they encountered. Due to the fact that they had never seen a society perform this way, Europeans defined this foreign culture as erroneous and thought it their divine right to intervene. Are there any current examples of this “responsibility” to intrude on foreign societies and make them like ours? Without trying to make this a political argument, one may argue the situation in Iraq. For instance, an attempt was made by the U.S. to spread democracy to this dictatorship. - Lisa Wilkerson<br />
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To what extent were European prejudices against natives based on differences about gender roles? To what extent were they more based on standards of living and tools? If native peoples had similar gender roles to Europeans, would the Europeans have had better gender relations, or would they still be doomed due to European prejudices about tools or desires for land?--Andrea Meyer<br />
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We have several accounts of Native men being introduced to European ideas about gender and the absolute rights European men had in the 17th century. How frequently and quickly did Natives apply these ideas, and how did the application process disrupt Native family dynamics? Because all our accounts are from Europeans, we really don't have any sense of how things were within the Native families when European ideas were experimented with. Did Native women resist European ideals or did some accept these "new" roles?--Andrea Meyer</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_2_Questions/CommentsWeek 2 Questions/Comments2007-09-05T19:59:28Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div>I found it interesting in the passage by John Heckewelder( page 30- 33) in Modern Problems where he says that the women's work load was so much lighter than that of the mens. I found this particularly interesting because in one of my classes last semester we read some articles about Europeans reactions to Native American society in Virginia and it said how lazy the European men felt that the Indian men were because it appeared that the women did the majority of the work within the village. I thought it was interesting seeing the different views that this reading exposed. - Elizabeth Frank<br />
<br />
Continuing from what Elizabeth wrote, It is infact very intersting to see how different groups of people play differnt roles, and how each group views those roles played by each gender.<br />
<br />
Throughout the personal narratives we have read, it has become obvious that Europeans thought their way of life to be far more superior to the way of life of the Natives they encountered. Due to the fact that they had never seen a society perform this way, Europeans defined this foreign culture as erroneous and thought it their divine right to intervene. Are there any current examples of this “responsibility” to intrude on foreign societies and make them like ours? Without trying to make this a political argument, one may argue the situation in Iraq. For instance, an attempt was made by the U.S. to spread democracy to this dictatorship. - Lisa Wilkerson<br />
<br />
To what extent were European prejudices against natives based on differences about gender roles? To what extent were they more based on standards of living and tools? If native peoples had similar gender roles to Europeans, would the Europeans have had better gender relations, or would they still be doomed due to European prejudices about tools or desires for land?--Andrea Meyer<br />
<br />
We have several accounts of Native men being introduced to European ideas about gender and the absolute rights European men had in the 17th century. How frequently and quickly did Natives apply these ideas, and how did the application process disrupt Native family dynamics? Because all our accounts are from Europeans, we really don't have any sense of how things were within the Native families when European ideas were experimented with. Did Native women resist European ideals or did some accept these "new" roles?--Andrea Meyer<br />
<br />
In Woloch's book, having to do with marriage and treatment of their wives,(p.9-11), I found it intersting how he says that there are many persons who believe, from the labour that they see the Indian women perform, that they are in a manner treated as slaves. These labours, indeed, are hard, compared with the tasks that are imposed upon females in civilized society, but they are no more than their fair share of the hardships attendant on savage life. So they are not only voluntarily, but cheerfully submitted to the work. <br />
--Katie D.</div>Katiehttps://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Week_1_Questions/CommentsWeek 1 Questions/Comments2007-08-29T19:37:45Z<p>Katie: </p>
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<div> -- Major Problems, 1-23<br />
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The first essay mentions how women were once only seen as important to history because of their relation to important men. A prime example of this is our University. Mary Washington is recognized solely as the mother of George Washington. She is seen as important because of her son not because of any of her own actions. -- Allison<br />
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I think Allison makes an excellent point. I'm reminded of a quote from the movie History Boys. The quote is from the woman history teacher who says, "History is a commentary on the various and continuing incapabilities of men. What is history? History is women following behind with the bucket." She may have some feminist tendencies when saying this, but I think it can be a relevant quote for what Kate Haulman is saying in her essay and the point Allison made. -- Vanessa<br />
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One of my other professors mentioned that history is constantly being reinterpreted and rewritten, so can any of the questions represented by this book ever actually be answered to everyone's satisfaction? -- Allison<br />
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In response to Allison's question: I think that you have a good point. I seriously doubt that any of these questions will ever be answered to everyone's satisfaction. Like in all things there will always be someone who is not satisfied, someone who continues to look for another way to answer the question. Its human nature. You can see that just looking at the essays, even though the historians writing this are all involved in women's history they all have different ideas of how you should go about it and what you should focus on. --Mary<br />
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There was one section while reading that stood out for me and that was the part on page twelve about equality and difference. I found it interesting that she should mention the idea that so often in the search for women's "equality" women want to be treated as if they were men and often over look the differences between men and women because they have often been used as a basis for discimination. While this section was very confusing, in my opinion at least, just because of the strong and opposing opinions about the subject, personally I think that just because a woman wants to be seen as an equal to a man in the eyes of society and in the eyes of the law that is no reason to set aside her femininity. --Mary<br />
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In regards to Mary's comment, I agree that equality should never be awarded based on one's femininity. The dichotomy was a contrast between feminists who deny difference between males and females and those who use their differences as a strength or access to power. I think it is vital to realize that "femininity" is a construct that has been forced upon women. "Femininity" and "Masculinity" have regulated gender politics and certainly there is nothing wrong with expressing either- but they are just labels that have been oppressive to those who wish to transcend their designated gender roles. I think that there would be value in discussing from where "femininity" stems and how free thought is and has been affected by this construct. --Kelly<br />
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I'd like to pose a question of opinion, if permitted, in response to Mary's and Kelly's comments. It's a situation that I know many instances of and wonder about what everyone else thinks of it. Woman A wants to go to college, get a degree, and continue her education (perhaps to get a masters or doctorate). She hopes to achieve a full and lengthy career while maintaining a family life. Woman B wants to finish college but her main goal is to start a family and stay at home to take care of her children and the household. She has no desire for a career and is more than satisfied with her life as a stay-at-home mom/homemaker. I don't really have a follow-up question other than to open the floor to opinion, but is there anything wrong with either woman's goals and should either be seen as less-equal or more equal than the other? -- Vanessa<br />
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Women's history has come a long way. I agree with Gerda Lerner when she says "the striking fact about the historiography of women is the general neglect of the subject by historians." (p.8). There is something about the neglect of women's studies that makes us want to focus even more on their history. --Katie<br />
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Knowing that it is gender that defines "man" and "woman", or "male" and "female", what exactly truely defines the category "women"? --Katie</div>Katie 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