Female Ancestors » Occupations

GenealogyMagazine.com - Confessions of a Colonial Midwife

Midwives assisting unwed mothers were often expected to testify in court and reveal the father's name. Puritans believed that women endured so much anguish during childbirth that they would make a confession to the trusted midwife, thereby saving the community from the expense of raising a child.

Harvard University Library - Open Collections Program: Women Working, 1800-1930

Women Working, 1800

Women Working, 1800-1930 | Harvard Library

An exploration of women's impact on the economic life of the United States between 1800 and the Great Depression.