Women Settling the American West

Women Settling the American West looks at the experiences of women in the "Wild West" and considers how their lives were affected by their new social and physical environments.   We will study how life differed for women than men.   We will look at how women dealt with traveling across the country alone and with families, how they made homes out of nothing with no luxuries, the domestic sphere, the farm life versus that of living in the city, how women came together in the times of need and loneliness, and how they built and transformed the communities they lived in.

Class 1 - Introduction, who are the Pioneer women, what is the importance of her role in settling the American West.
Class 2- The Journey West: Crossing the Plains
Class 3- A Home in the West: Building a home and settling the land
Class 4 - Behind Closed Doors: The Domestic Sphere and Family Dynamics
Class 5- The Work of Women's Hands: Women in Action
Class 6 - Molders and Shapers: How Women Built Communities

This is a 6-week course that meets once a week for 60 minutes each session.  

Discussion questions will be assigned at the end of each class and students are expected to participate.  A grade will be provided at the end of class.  Students will be graded on participation in discussion questions and class attendance.