Difference between revisions of "426--Week 2 Questions/Comments--Thursday"
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First of all, "Mayo Greenleaf Patch?" Really? I almost feel bad for him with a name like that. However, I have a hard time getting past the fact that he was a failed patriarch, essentially. It was a time when the father was in charge of the family and was the provider and he had a difficult time doing that job. Although it could be a total "girl power" moment because this situation allowed Abigail and the others like her to become independent and wear the pants, unfortunately that's not how things were done in the 18th and 19th century. -Kelly W. | First of all, "Mayo Greenleaf Patch?" Really? I almost feel bad for him with a name like that. However, I have a hard time getting past the fact that he was a failed patriarch, essentially. It was a time when the father was in charge of the family and was the provider and he had a difficult time doing that job. Although it could be a total "girl power" moment because this situation allowed Abigail and the others like her to become independent and wear the pants, unfortunately that's not how things were done in the 18th and 19th century. -Kelly W. | ||
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| + | I was really impressed by Johnson's methodology. The way he used records of censuses, taxes, and court cases to figure out the story of these people's lives is very cool. One part that jumped out at me is when Greenleaf's mother-in-law said that her "children" were taking all of her furniture, Johnson was able to figure out that she could ONLY be talking about Greenleaf and Abigail. Another part I was impressed with was how Johnson used the tax record of Greenleaf housing the school teacher as proof that he was a trusted member of the community. I mean, that makes sense and doesn't seem like a huge leap, but when you think that all that this guy had in front of him were a bunch of government records, I think it is very impressive that he was able to infer so much about Greenleaf's character and personal life. I guess historians like Johnson have to get creative in how they use their sources. | ||
== Extra Credit: What did the President's inaugural address say (directly or indirectly) about American families and individuals? == | == Extra Credit: What did the President's inaugural address say (directly or indirectly) about American families and individuals? == | ||
