Domestic Revolutions: Women, Men, and the Family in American History

Module code:HS2311

What do the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 tell us about Puritan attitudes to young and old women? What impact did slavery have on the black family? When did the ‘American teenager’ first make his/her appearance? What does Teddy Roosevelt's image makeover tell us about 19th century American manhood?

This module examines the changes and continuities of male and female roles in family life over the course of American history. The module divides American history into roughly three period where you'll look at the colonial period, the 19th century and the modern age.

Constructions of gender have affected interactions between men, women and children in American history and you’ll be investigating these gender and age roles. Assessing the impact of class and race on family roles will also be important in comparing the changes and continuities in the American family.