Everyday Life and Women in America, c.1800-1920

Mar 1, 2024

Grinnell College Libraries has access to Adam Matthew's Everyday Life & Women in America showcasing unique primary source material for the study of American social, cultural, and popular history in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Everyday Life & Women in America comprises thousands of fully searchable images of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social, and gender issues; religion; race; education; employment; marriage; sexuality; home and family life; health; and pastimes. The collection is especially rich in conduct of life and domestic management literature, offering vivid insights into the daily lives of women and men, as well as emphasizing contrasts in regional, urban, and rural cultures.

Themes

Unique primary sources cover the following themes:

  • political and social issues
  • race
  • religion
  • family
  • popular fiction and sensational literature
  • children's prescriptive literature
  • periodicals
  • women
  • fashion and beauty
  • cookery
  • medicine
  • education
  • work
  • farming

In Thematic Areas you can read short introductions to the major thematic areas of the collection.

Interactive and Secondary Teaching Aids

  • Town Topics: The Journal of Society (1887-1923) was a weekly periodical offering literature reviews, short fictional stories, sporting news and financial advice.
  • contextual essays written by leading academics and collection specialists
  • an interactive chronology charting key dates in 19th and early 20th century American history
  • Subject search directories providing key subjects found within Everyday Life & Women in America

Questions?

Contact query@grinnell.edu or your liaison librarian for additional help on using this resource.
 
Or request a Library Lab which is a research consultation and an opportunity for a student or a small group of students to meet with a librarian and discuss an academic research project.

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