Nancy Woloch

"Counter This comprehensive synthesis of women;s history from the 17th century to the present draws on the past three decades of scholarship in the field. Its unique paired-chapter format couples a narrative "episode" that vividly evokes a particular individual or event with a synthesis chapter that places each episode carefully within its broader historical context. This pairing of the concrete and specific with the general and historic creates the most compelling reading experience available in a survey of U.S. women's historyhistory."--From publisher.

Publisher's description: This volume is a collection of over 100 primary sources in women's history that reveals the diversity of women's experience from the colonial era through the 19th century. The documents range from the familiar to the unusual. Collectively, they evoke interest, inspire reflection, and invite commentary from readers. This volume can stand alone, or it can be used in combination with Susan Ware's MODERN AMERICAN WOMEN, 1890 TO THE PRESENT.

"A Class by Herself explores the historical role and influence of protective legislation for American women workers, both as a step toward modern labor standards and as a barrier to equal rights. Spanning the twentieth century, the book tracks the rise and fall of women-only state protective laws--such as maximum hour laws, minimum wage laws, and night work laws--from their roots in progressive reform through the passage of New Deal labor law to the feminist attack on single-sex protective laws in the 1960s and 1970s. Nancy Woloch considers the network of institutions that promoted women-only protective laws, such as the National Consumers' League and the federal Women's Bureau; the global context in which the laws arose; the challenges that proponents faced; the rationales they espoused; the opposition that evolved; the impact of protective laws in ever-changing circumstances; and their dismantling in the wake of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Above all, Woloch examines the constitutional conversation that the laws provoked--the debates that arose in the courts and in the women's movement. Protective laws set precedents that led to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and to current labor law; they also sustained a tradition of gendered law that abridged citizenship and impeded equality for much of the century. Drawing on decades of scholarship, institutional and legal records, and personal accounts, A Class by Herself sets forth a new narrative about the tensions inherent in women-only protective labor laws and their consequences."--Book jacket.

The first brief book on the landmark 1908 Supreme Court decision that limited a woman's workday to ten hours, this text offers a concise analysis of the origins and impact of Muller v. Oregon. Woloch's comprehensive narrative familiarizes readers with Progressive reform, the case itself, and the conflict Muller generated within the women's movement over the issue of classification by gender. A rich collection of primary documents - including court decisions, the Brandeis brief, and essays by leading Progressive-era reformers - enables readers to analyze the decision and the ensuing debate. Editorial features include headnotes, a chronology, a bibliography, and illustrations.