Mother’s Day became a national holiday on May 9, 1914 to honor all of the work mothers do to raise children.

But what precisely is the work that mothers do to raise children? Has the nature of mothers, motherhood, and the work mothers do changed over time?

Nora Doyle, an Assistant Professor of History at Salem College in North Carolina, has combed through the historical record to find answers to these questions. Specifically, she’s sought to better understand the lived and imagined experiences of mothers and motherhood between the 1750s and 1850s.

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/237

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• Maternal Bodies: Redefining Motherhood in Early America

Complementary Episodes

• Episode 027: Lisa Wilson, A History of Stepfamilies in Early America
• Episode 120: Marcia Zug, A History of Mail Order Brides in Early America
• Episode 150: Woody Holton, Abigail Adams: Revolutionary Speculator
• Episode 205: Jeanne Abrams, First Ladies of the Republic

 

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