Women and Social Change in American History
S07
Bradford Verter
This course will explore the lives, struggles, and accomplishments of women in the United States from the colonial period to the present, with an emphasis on 19th- and 20th-century social movements. Using a variety of materials from primary documents to secondary literature and film, we will review key women’s movements and issues such as slavery and abolition, suffrage, work and economic independence, sexuality and health, and feminisms. This course will also investigate the theory and practice of oral history, with particular attention paid to the role gender and sexuality play in this type of history. Students will conduct an oral history interview for their final project. This course has three objectives: to understand the major periods and themes of U.S. history from the perspectives of a diverse range of women; to become familiar with feminist scholarship and methodologies; and to conduct primary research in the field of women’s history.