This second edition of Working Americans 1810-2015, Volume 6: Women at Work updates the sixth volume in the Working Americans series through 2015, profiling the lives of American women-how they lived, how they worked, how they thought-decade by decade from the 1810s to today.
Like the other titles in the series, Working Americans: Women at Work observes the lives of various Americans, decade by decade. This new edition profiles women young and old, from a wide range of geographical and social backgrounds, and from a vast variety of professions. Some profiles focus on fortune, some on fame, some on a regular paycheck, and some on no paycheck at all, but all demonstrate the continuous challenge faced by working women in America-whether they pushed papers, pitched baseballs, played the piano, changed public opinion, or joined the Navy.
Arranged in 13 chapters, this newest update to the Working Americans series features 42 historical and current Profiles of women from across the country, at home and abroad. Each profile offers detailed insight into the life of the featured individual, dividing focus into three categories: Life at Home, Life at Work, and Life in the Community. The Americans profiled in this volume represent all regions of the country, as well as a variety of ages and ethnic backgrounds, including: An Estate Matron in 1810; An Educational Reformer in 1881; An Anti-Corset Advocate in 1896; An Irish Servant in 1905; A Jazz Singer & Dancer in 1927; An Olympic Swimmer in 1936; A U.S. Navy Lieutenant in 1945; A Baseball Player in 1948; A Hospital Workers’ Strike Organizer in 1959; An Anti-Nuclear Weapons Advocate in 1983; A Nursery School Founder in 2012; …and many, many more.
Every chapter begins with an Introduction to the featured decade, highlighting important events, people, and places from the period. Chapters also contain Historical Snapshots that chronicle major milestones of a particular year; excerpts of News Features that place each profiled individual’s life and work in the context of the time; and Selected Prices that illustrate the economy of the era and act as statistical comparisons between decades. Numerous Illustrations also add insight and depth to each chapter and include photographs, news clippings, advertisements, postcards, posters, quotations, political cartoons, and more.
