US Women's History Review

Women’s History in the U.S. – Semester Exam Review Guide
Colonial Era (1600s–1776)

1. Puritan Values & Women’s Roles – Examine how Puritan religious beliefs shaped expectations for women, including domesticity, motherhood, and limited public roles.
2. Comparison of European, Indigenous, and African Women – Analyze differences in legal status, labor roles, and societal expectations for these groups.
3. Women & the American Revolution – Discuss roles in boycotts, home-front support, and figures like Deborah Sampson and the Daughters of Liberty.

Revolutionary & Early Republic (1776–1830s)

1. Abigail Adams & “Remember the Ladies” – Assess her argument for women’s rights and John Adams’ response.
2. Republican Motherhood – Explain how this idea promoted women’s education to prepare them for raising virtuous citizens.
3. Enslaved Women’s Experiences – Consider labor conditions, family separation, and efforts toward freedom during the era.

Antebellum Period & Reform Movements (1830s–1860s)

1. Grimké Sisters & Social Norms – Describe their abolitionist work and advocacy for women’s rights.
2. Women in Reform Movements – Evaluate contributions to temperance, education, and prison reform.
3. Women’s Suffrage vs. Abolitionism – Compare strategies and conflicts between these movements.

Civil War & Reconstruction (1861–1877)

1. Women’s Roles in the Civil War – Discuss nurses, spies, and soldiers, including figures like Clara Barton and Harriet Tubman.
2. Challenges for Freed African American Women – Assess economic struggles, family reunification efforts, and resistance to oppression.
3. 14th & 15th Amendments – Examine their effects on the women’s rights movement and tensions within suffrage activism.

Gilded Age & Progressive Era (1877–1920)

1. Industrial Labor & Women – Describe factory conditions, wage disparities, and the rise of labor unions.
2. Suffrage Organizations – Compare the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) strategies.
3. Settlement Houses & Social Work – Evaluate contributions of women like Jane Addams in urban reform.

Women’s Suffrage & The 19th Amendment (1920s)

1. Arguments For & Against Suffrage – Outline key reasons cited by both suffragists and opponents.
2. Effects of the 19th Amendment – Examine its impact on voter turnout and political participation.
3. Race & Class in Suffrage – Discuss the exclusion of Black and working-class women from some suffrage efforts.

Great Depression & World War II (1930s–1940s)

1. Impact of the Great Depression – Analyze employment shifts and household labor expectations.
2. Rosie the Riveter & WWII – Explore how the image reflected and shaped women’s wartime roles.
3. Postwar Labor Transition – Discuss the pressure on women to return to domestic life post-war.

Postwar America & The Feminine Mystique (1950s–1960s)

1. Ideal vs. Reality of the 1950s Housewife – Compare societal expectations with women’s lived experiences.
2. The Feminine Mystique’s Impact – Analyze how Betty Friedan’s book launched second-wave feminism.
3. Women in the Civil Rights Movement – Highlight overlooked contributions from activists like Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer.

Second-Wave Feminism & Women’s Liberation (1960s–1980s)

1. NOW vs. Radical Feminists – Compare moderate and radical feminist goals and methods.
2. Roe v. Wade’s Impact – Explain its significance in reproductive rights debates.
3. Title IX & Women’s Opportunities – Assess changes in education and athletics due to Title IX.

Intersectionality & Third-Wave Feminism (1990s–2000s)

1. Challenges to Earlier Feminism – Identify critiques of second-wave feminism’s focus on white, middle-class women.
2. Women of Color & Feminism – Discuss contributions from figures like bell hooks and Audre Lorde.
3. LGBTQ+ Activism & Feminism – Explore the intersection of queer activism and feminist causes.

Modern Movements & Contemporary Issues (2010s–Present)

1. #MeToo & Workplace Harassment – Evaluate how the movement reshaped legal and cultural discussions.
2. Gender Pay Gap – Identify factors contributing to wage disparities and efforts to close the gap.
3. Social Media & Feminist Activism – Discuss how platforms like Twitter and Instagram have influenced activism strategies.

This guide provides key themes and topics to focus on when studying for your exam. Consider using specific examples, primary sources, and scholarly perspectives to support your responses.