What was life like for women in Colonial America? What restrictions were placed upon them and what opportunities were they afforded? A case study of Elizabeth Murray offers high schoolers a chance to investigate primary source documents that reveal the attitudes and mores that defined the roles of US women in mid-eighteenth century.

Concepts

women's history, women's history month, women's rights, case studies

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Some class members may find the syntax and diction in the primary source documents confusing; therefore, develop worksheets with text-based questions to help readers analyze the documents
• If enough computers are available, have pairs read the primary source documents online and collaborate to respond to text-based questions

Classroom Considerations

• Due to the complexity of the site, set aside some prep time to practice navigating the site, exploring the materials, and selecting the documents appropriate for your teaching situation
• The activity presumes class members have experience analyzing primary source materials
• Include in a study of Colonial America or as part of a lesson during Women's History Month

Pros

• The site includes historical background information, links to a wealth of primary source documents, teacher materials, and assessments

Cons

• No reading guides are provided for the primary source documents

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.11-12.1