| Topic: 4.1: Contextualizing Period 4 | Learning Objectives: –Explain the context for the women’s suffrage movement –Explain the short and long term significance of the work of Sarah Grimke –Explain the changes in women’s health and the experience of childbirth and pregnancy, including the changes related to the decline of midwives –Explain the concept of freedom seeker –Explain the context of the Civil War –Explain the era of Reconstruction | Essential Understandings: –Women began organizing for the right to vote during the pre-Civil War era –As the American Medical Association organized and gained power, midwives and herbalists were discouraged from caring for women’s health and assisting during childbirth. –As a result, knowledge about the medicinal power of herbs and plants was lost –Women served in active roles in the Civil War where they worked in jobs as diverse as soldiers, spies, and nurses. | Recommended Sources: —Frances Ellen Watkins Harper —“Letters on the Equality of the Sexes” by Sarah Grimke –Film: The Vote (American Experience) –“Sojourner Truth Speaks Truth to Power” from Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Susan Ware From “Behind the Scenes; or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House” by Elizabeth Keckley — Pity for Evil by Monica Klem and Madeline McDowell —Freedom Was in Sight by Kate Masur and Liz Clarke —“Marriage” by Sarah Grimke |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s Activism | Women have utilized a wide variety of strategies to demonstrate agency and challenge male authority throughout American history. Women have also contributed to the pursuit of equality with men, even as they worked to define it in different ways |
| Topic: 4.2: Seneca Falls Convention | Learning Objectives: –Explain the political importance of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention –Explain the short and long term significance of the Declaration of Sentiments | Essential Understandings: –Understand the political organizing undertaken by women before the Seneca Falls Convention –Understand the political significance of the first women’s rights gathering at Seneca Falls –Understand the historiography of the Seneca Falls Conference –Understand the influence of Sir William Blackstone on the Seneca Falls Conference –Understand the continuities of the 1848 conference | Recommended Sources: Declaration of Sentiments Resolutions from the Seneca Falls Convention Film: Not for Ourselves Alone by Ken Burns Myth of Seneca Falls by Lisa Tetrault Teaching Resources: —Lesson plan on Seneca Falls —Seneca Falls National Historical Park |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s and American culture | It is essential to understand the significant role of women in the formation of American culture, including religion, health, art, psychology, and literature, to better understand the development of the United States |
| Thematic Focus: Violence Against Women, Pacifism and War | Throughout American history, women have been subject to both private and state sanctioned violence. They have utilized a variety of formal and informal methods to protect themselves through pacifism and one another against violence. They have also been at the forefront of peace movements and war efforts |
| Topic: 4.3: Mexican American War, Manifest Destiny and the transcendentalist movement | Learning Objectives: –Explain the short and long term consequences of the Mexican American War –Explain the impact of the spread of the concept of manifest destiny on women –Explain how reformers involved with transcendentalism, such as author Margaret Fuller, were early advocates for women’s rights | Essential Understandings: –Understand the impact of American imperialism on women –Understand the consequence of Mexican Cession on gender, sexuality, race and class | Recommended Sources: –The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men, Woman versus Women. [written by Margaret Fuller, published in The Dial July 1843] |
| Thematic Focus: Women and American culture | It is essential to understand the significant role of women in the formation of American culture, including religion, health, art, psychology, and literature, to better understand the development of the United States |
| Thematic Focus: Women and American culture | It is essential to understand the significant role of women in the formation of American culture, including religion, health, art, psychology, and literature, to better understand the development of the United States |
“Bloody feet, sisters, have worn smooth the path by which you have come up hither.”
–Abby Kelley Foster, 1850
| Topic: 4.4: Antebellum reform | Learning Objectives: –Explain the various reform methods led by women in the pre-Civil War era | Essential Understandings: –Understand the role of temperance in the development of women’s political agency –Understand the short and long term significance of pre-Civil war organizing for women’s suffrage | Recommended Sources: —Antebellum women’s rights (American Experience) —Women’s rights in the Antebellum era (American YAWP) —“Disappointment is the lot of women” by Lucy Stone —Not for Ourselves Alone film by Ken Burns –Sarah Grimke’s essay on Marriage |
| Thematic Focus: Violence Against Women, Pacifism and War | Throughout American history, women have been subject to both private and state sanctioned violence. They have utilized a variety of formal and informal methods to protect themselves through pacifism and one another against violence. They have also been at the forefront of peace movements and war efforts |
| Topic: 4.5 Enslavement | Learning Objectives: Explain the role of enslavement of women in American history Explain how 19th century advancements in the field of gynecology depended upon operating on enslaved women without their consent | Essential Understandings: –Understand the academic work of Dorothy Roberts with regards to enslavement and women’s bodies –Understand the connections between enslavement and reproductive rights Lucy, Betsey & Anarcha are considered the foremothers of gynecology –Enslaved women used cotton root as a method of resistance to enslavement as well as to prevent pregnancy | Recommended Sources: –Excerpts, Killing The Black Body by Dorothy Roberts –From “Cain and Patsy: The Gospel Preached to the Poor. A Story of a Slave Girl” by (Mrs.) J.D. Chaplin –Excerpts, Say Anarcha by J.C. Hallman –Excerpts, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs —Enslaved women and reproductive resistance |
| Thematic Focus: Violence Against Women, Pacifism and War | Throughout American history, women have been subject to both private and state sanctioned violence. They have utilized a variety of formal and informal methods to protect themselves through pacifism and one another against violence. They have also been at the forefront of peace movements and war efforts. |
| Topic 4.6: The Civil War | Learning Objectives: –Understand how women were heavily involved in the Civil War serving as generals, spies, nurses, and more | Essential Understandings: –Some northern leaders of the campaign against slavery, such as William H. Seward, believed slavery was the fault of the Spanish and Portuguese and the destruction of slavery would lead to the western spread of Anglo-Saxon civilization —Anna Ella Caroll played an important role in espionage during the Civil War, directly contributing to important military battles. President Lincoln downplayed her involvement because he was concerned word would get out a civilian woman orchestrated these strategies rather than an army general | Recommended Sources: –General Affidavit of Harriet Tubman Davis regarding payment for services rendered during the Civil War, c. 1898, RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, National Archives —Harriet Tubman 200 project |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s Activism | Women have utilized a wide variety of strategies to demonstrate agency and challenge male authority throughout American history. Women have also contributed to the pursuit of equality with men, even as they worked to define it in different ways. |
| Topic: 4.7: 14th & 15th Amendments | Learning Objectives: –Explain how African Americans were finally able to be naturalized citizens after 1870. But despite the ratification of the 14th Amendment, women did not enjoy constitutionally protected rights of citizenship | Essential Understandings: –In the 1870s, an all male Supreme Court ruled unanimously against women being recognized as citizens who had the right to vote (Minor v. Happersett) –This denied women the right to vote | Recommended Sources: –The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic by Manisha Sinha Civil War and Reconstruction —Frances Thompson’s testimony in Congress, 1866 |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s Experiences | Women have not had a monolithic experience; their lives have been directly impacted by intersecting identities including race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, religion, region and age. Race and gender are social constructs that have been closely tied to women’s American political and social development. |
Topic: 4.8: Indigenous societies in period 4 | Learning Objective: Explain women’s leadership in 19th century Indigenous societies | Essential Understandings: –Explore the world of the Female Warriors of the Kootenai, Salish, Crow, Gros Ventre, and Pend d”Orieille peoples | Recommended Sources: –Sarah Winnemucca, Life among the Piutes Indigenous Women Warriors –“Women Leaders from the Buffalo Days.” Little Big Horn College Library |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s Activism | Women have utilized a wide variety of strategies to demonstrate agency and challenge male authority throughout American history. Women have also contributed to the pursuit of equality with men, even as they worked to define it in different ways |
| Topic: 4.9: Women in reconstruction | Learning Objectives: –Understand the political, economic and social changes for women during the era of Reconstruction | Essential Understandings: –After the Compromise of 1877, reconstruction was defeated and white supremacy returned to the South. –Conflict over the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments divided the women’s movement, leading to two conflicting suffrage organizations: National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman’s Suffrage Association (AWSA) | Recommended Sources: –Excerpts, The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic by Manisha Sinha –Teaching resources for Freedom Was in Sight!, a graphic history on Reconstruction in the D.C. area —National Dress Reform Association |
| Thematic Focus: Women’s Activism | Women have utilized a wide variety of strategies to demonstrate agency and challenge male authority throughout American history. Women have also contributed to the pursuit of equality with men, even as they worked to define it in different ways |
| Topic: 4.10: Foundational Figures in Period 4 | Learning Objectives: –Explain the significance of foundational figures listed in this section | Essential Understandings: –James & Lucretia Mott —Elizabeth Cady Stanton —Sojourner Truth —Victoria Woodhull —Dr. Mary Edwards Walker —Frances Ellen Watkins Harper —Dr. Horatio Storer | Recommended Sources: –Susan B. Anthony Lecture Ticket, 1882 –NWSA Constitution —Lucy Stone & Henry Blackwell Marriage Protest –Woman’s Journal and Suffrage News –Letter from the Cambridge Branch of the Massachusetts Anti-Suffrage Association to the Congress of the United States of America –Ida B. Wells, “Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases,” 1892 –Mary B. Talbert, “Women and Colored Women,” 1915 –Victoria Woodhull’s 1871 “Steinway Speech” |