Women in Early Stuart England, HIS211

Questions to think about ...
To what extent, if at all, did women exercise any power in early modern England? Were they, in reality, slaves to their husbands and fathers?


Could women hold property after marriage? Did they gain power and influence through religious activity? Could they make their views known? To what extent did ideal wives depicted in contemporary literature actually exist? Did the Civil War act to liberate women in any way?

You should use the reading list already handed out, namely the social and economic list for HIS211 and the relevant thematic breakdown. 



 

 

 

 

LIST OF TOPICS ON WOMEN:


Topic ONE: Marital relations How accurate and realistic were contemporary conduct books in depicting the relationships between husband and wives?
Produce a short answer to this question. Your answer should include a short commentary on the contents of each document. Read the following two document extracts and try and read the relevant parts of the following secondary literature. Use the main reading list if these books are difficult to get hold of.

DOCUMENT EXTRACTS:
Recommended secondary literature for seminar topic. Just try and read a couple of chapters, or two articles as well as the documents.

Houlbrooke, R. (1984 ). The English Family, 1450-1700 . [301 4230941-HOU].

Houlbrooke, R. (Eds.). (1988 ). English Family Life, an anthology . [301 4210942-ENG].

Laurence, A. (1994). Women in England 1500-1760. A Social History.

Prior, M. (Eds.). (1985 ). Women in English Society .

Somerville, M., (1995), Sex and subjection. Attitudes to women in Early Modern Society

Aughterson, K., (1995) Renaissance Women: A Sourcebook. Constructions of Feminity in England

Topic TWO: Women and religion
To what extent did religion give women status and power in early modern England?
Produce a short answer to this question. Your answer should include a short commentary on the contents of each document. Read the following two document extracts and try and read the relevant parts of the following secondary literature. Use the main reading list if these books or articles are difficult to get hold of.

DOCUMENT EXTRACTS:

Recommended secondary literature


Eales, J., (1996) Women in early modern England 1500-1700

Graham, E., Ed. (1989). Her Own Life. Autobiographical Writings by Seventeenth-Century Englishwomen.

Mendelson, S. H. (1987). The Mental World of Stuart Women. 301.4120 94206-MEN.

Thomas, K. (1958 ). Women and the Civil War Sects. Past and Present

Willen, D. (1992). Godly Women in Early Modern England: Puritanism and Gender. Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 43(4), 561-80. PER 200-JOU.


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