From the film, A Midwife’s Tale, what was Martha Ballard’s occupation? What larger role did she play in her community? How did Martha determine the father of an unwed mother’s child? What does this demonstrate about the legal and social status of these women (both Midwives/Martha and unwed mothers) in this New England society?
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From our “Colonial Women” lecture, list and explain what sort of evidence was used in the Salem witch trials, in 1692, to convict a person of witchcraft? Who tended to be the target of these accusations and what happened to those who were convicted? Why were the trials so disastrous for the Puritans?
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From the film, A Midwife’s Tale, what was Martha Ballard’s occupation? What larger role did she play in her community? How did Martha determine the father of an unwed mother’s child? What does this demonstrate about the legal and social status of these women (both Midwives/Martha and unwed mothers) in this New England society?
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From our lecture “19th Century Women – North,” what is the Cult of True Womanhood? Explain the four tenets and how and how they applied to 19th century women. From the film, Not for Ourselves Alone, did Elizabeth Cady Stanton (ECS) and Susan B. Anthony (SBA) consider themselves “True Women” according to this philosophy? Explain why or why not. What goals did Stanton and Anthony work toward and what goals did they achieve?
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From our lecture “19th Century Women in the South,” what made Sarah and Angelina Grimke so unique and effective in the abolitionist movement? How did Quakers in their town initially react to the sister’s abolitionist work? How did the general public in the North respond to them early on as abolitionist speakers? What controversies arose regarding the Grimke sister’s writings? (List specific examples of the writings and controversies)
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