America's Working Women: A Documentary History 1600 to the Present - Hardcover

When the first edition of this remarkable anthology was published in 1976, it galvanized the study of women's labor history. Now, in this comprehensive revision, the editors have nearly doubled the number of selections, increased coverage of writings by and about women of color, and written new introductory material. The result is a mind-expanding survey tracking the lives of working women in North America for more than three centuries. Baxandall and Gordon have chosen to focus on the vast majority of working women, that is, on farmers, housekeepers, garment workers, laundresses, factory workers, waitresses, and secretaries. The selections of letters, diaries, oral histories, magazine articles, historical works, fiction, and poetry illustrate major themes, such as traditional female occupations, the "double day" syndrome of work for income plus housework, responsibility for children and other family members, and the traumas of sexual harassment, unequal pay, and lack of child care. There is valor, pride, and determination on here as well as despair, hypocrisy, denial, anger, and triumph--a chorus of voices that greatly enhances our understanding of the issues women still face in the workplace. Donna Seaman