Three decades of women’s history in the United States

Spencer painting The next task was to trace the multiple and contradictory uses made of this complex of ideas, especially by women who were able to call on it to legitimate and explain their demand for education, a larger role in civic life, and even greater power vis a vis men. (Elaborate on Spencer’s career’ term “sentimental subversion”)

Contrary to the then dominant version of nineteenth century U.S. history, in which women were almost entirely invisible, this first wave of women’s history research used this reevaluation of sentimental ideals about womanhood to establish the tremendous range and impact of women’s public activities from 1830 to 1917 Starting in the 1830s, middle class women (outside of the south) formed charitable and benevolent societies. Eventually such activities led free women to embrace the cause of the slave.