The theme of this conference reflects a recent flourishing of scholarship about the role of women in shaping the early North American economy during a time of both unprecedented economic development in the British colonies and significant changes in traditional family, household, and market economies. Although these changes were evinced, to some degree, everywhere European peoples migrated during the entire early modern era, the depth of scholarly work on women’s experiences in mainland North America from initial settlement through the formative years after the Revolution has been especially rich and is the focus of our discussion at this conference. Recent scholarly work makes it imperative for us to rethink many long-standing generalizations about women’s economies. This work encompasses such topics as frontier and urban female economies; family strategies for dividing labor and creating economic efficiencies within the household; shaping new economic identities out of varied European, African, West Indian, and Native American cultures; the nature of women’s retailing and entrepreneurship aside from household roles; the varieties of negotiation of race and class in economic contexts; comparative women’s economies from region to region, plantation to farm, and across generations and social origins; and much more. Although we cannot bring together scholars representing every new direction, the papers and comments at this conference include some of the finest new work on women’s colonial North American economies.

The papers prepared for this conference will be posted on the PEAES web pages by September 1, 2004. We encourage everyone coming to the conference to read them in advance, and then join us for a lively discussion about the authors’ findings and arguments.

This conference is free and open to everyone interested in this topic. We urge you to let us know in advance if you will be attending the conference by registering electronically at the special page set up on website, or by calling 215-546-3181.

For further questions, please contact Cathy Matson, PEAES Director, at cmatson@udel.edu.

Illustration: [F. O. C.] Darley. “The Peddler,” from John L. McConnel, Western Characters. Or Types of Border Life in the Western States (New York, 1853).

 

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The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 (215) 546-3181
Questions or Comments Contact Program Director Cathy Matson cmatson@UDel.edu