Exploitation During the Industrial Revolution
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris explains that both men and men were exploited during the Industrial Revolution. But those born in America had other options, Professor Kessler-Harris notes, including the "fabled frontier" and free lan...
Employment During The Depression
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris talks about shifting employment demographics during Depression, The and again during World War II.
Employment During World War II
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris explains that there was less employment discrimination towards women during World War II than there was during Depression, The , but it did persist and then, "...it returns full force after the War."
African-American Slave Women
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris talks about the plight of slave women during the time leading up to the Civil War and beyond. "Slave women in the South are in a horrendous position," Professor Kessler-Harris says. "Most people talk a...
Abolitionist Movement, The
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris talks about the link between women and Abolitionist Movement, The . "You might want to say that it is inspired by women, to some extent, and inspires them to look for women's rights," Professor Kessler...
America in a World At War: Women at Work during the War
During World War II, women are drawn in increasing numbers into the workforce and into roles once denied to them. Historians who have studied this period conclude that the workforce remains segregated, although some categories of employment switch o...
African-Americans Move To The City
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris talks about the lack of equal opportunity on the job front for African-Americans who began moving to cities in the 1920's. "I think it's sometimes painful to acknowledge just how discriminatory the wor...
Best Laid Plans...: Economic Vitality
Despite their intentions, almost nothing works out as Jefferson and his followers planned. During their years in power, the young republic develops in ways they could not have envisioned. The most striking aspect of American society in these early d...
Age of the City, The: Ethnic City, The
Some cities are marked by clearly-defined ethnic neighborhoods, others are more diverse. Among immigrant families, men are usually the first to arrive, hoping to earn enough money to take back home. Historians call these immigrants "birds of passage...
Voices of Reform: Women's Efforts to Gain Equal Rights
The response to early feminist efforts ranges from silence to outrage. Some working-class and African American women express skepticism that this movement has anything to do with them. There are prominent exceptions like Sojourner Truth, a former sl...