Women at the Center

Do you feel fatigued or suffer from poor nerves? Guaranteed relief from feminine afflictions! Is your baby fretful? Well, look no further! During the 19th century, these sorts of appeals were the bait to catch consumers suffering from anything from headaches to hot flashes to unwanted pregnancy. The unregulated “patent medicine” industry was big business….

Those of us who are familiar with the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, or Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible, which dramatized the fearful events of the period, might reasonably assume that witchcraft was a phenomenon restricted to Puritan New England. After all, no other witchy episode in American history has resonated quite like the…

Editor’s Note: We had another busy, successful month in October at the Center for Women’s History. Below, CWH intern Brigitte Dale recaps our participation in the Women’s Building Block Party, and CWH special assistant Allee Surgeary reports on our Spicy Talk salon conversation. Sign up for our mailing list to stay tuned for more great Center…

Since the 19th century, the familiar figure of “Uncle Sam,” with his beard and stovepipe hat, has represented the U.S. in recruitment posters, political cartoons, and advertisements. But long before he first appeared, artists drew upon a visual tradition that stretched back centuries to depict America as a woman. Over time, the appearance and meaning of…

Editor’s note: This post contains frank discussions of sexual violence.  Giving Teachers the Resources They Need When I first began research for the Early Encounters, 1492-1734 unit of our Women and the American Story curriculum guide, I knew that to write truthfully about the experiences of women in colonial America, I had to include frank discussions of…