Pioneer Women

by Peavy, Linda; Smith, Ursula

• ISBN13: 9780831772208
• ISBN10: 0831772204
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-09-01
• Publisher: Smithmark Pub

Summary

Pioneer Women provides a rare look at frontier life through the eyes of the pioneer women who settled the American West. Linda Peavy & Ursula Smith portray a wide variety of women, from those who found liberty & confidence in undertaking "men's work" to those who felt burdened by the wind, the weather, & the struggle of frontier life. They include the experiences of women of color, as well as colorful & infamous figures such as Calamity Jane & Carry Nation. The women's hardships, hopes, fears, & courage are revealed in excerpts from journals, letters, & oral histories. Illustrated with a fascinating collection of seldom-seen photographs, Pioneer Women reveals the faces as well as the voices of women who lived on the frontier. "This 'Patchword' of women's words & pictures captures the pioneer experience memorably & elegantly. Just as a quilt is made up of many small pieces, this book is based on a multitude of individual stories & a rich range of source material. The authors stitch the pieces together skillfully & unobtrusively, presenting us with an overall picture that is both detailed & sweeping in its design. This is a book to enjoy & learn from. Like an heirloom quilt, this is a book to be treasured."--SUSAN ARMITAGE, coeditor of The Women's West & Writing the Range. "Peavy & Smith cut through all the myths of frontier life in their frank & engaging commentary...A book as fresh & inspiring as a bright, breezy day on the plains."--BOOKLIST. LINDA PEAVY & URSULA SMITH have coauthored two previous books on women in the American West, The Gold Rush Widows of Little Falls & Women in Waiting in the Westward Movement (University of Oklahoma Press). They are currently at work on a book about children of the frontier.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 6
Introduction	p. 7
The Journey West: Pioneer Women on the Move	p. 16
A Home in the West: Pioneer Women Settling In	p. 46
Behind Closed Doors: Pioneer Women and Family Dynamics	p. 70
The Work of Women's Hands: Pioneer Women in Action	p. 92
Molders and Shapers: Pioneer Women as Community Builders	p. 118
Notes on Sources and Bibliography	p. 140
Index	p. 142
Acknowledgements	p. 144
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.