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First Generations: Women in Colonial America
Carol Berkin's multicultural history reconstructs the lives of American women in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries-women from European, African, and Native backgrounds-and examines their varied roles as wives, mothers, household managers, laborers, rebels, and, ultimately, critical forces in shaping the new nation's culture and history.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 5, 2020
I think the book would have used three or four more chapters, but it's an interesting account with a feminist voice on the horrors and heroism women underwent during the American colonial era. Berkin combed through hundreds of documents to deliver this masterpiece as can be attested by the weight of the Bibliographical Essay -it's very expansive and well-elaborate.
Ideally, these kind of books are usually not popular with an average reader due to their content and length which can be laborious at times, unless you have an academic or intellectual interest in them. But the most interesting thing with this is that Berkin managed to keep it short and easy to read without so much obfuscation that characterises such books, and it will serve as a perfect overview for America's colonial times, and most importantly, women's role in them to anyone interested in that kind of literature. This is a book on feminism, written by a feminist, but not only for feminists. Equality is a common motif that runs through it and Berkin's wonderful and poetic pose will hold you from the first page to the last.
My favourite quote:
"Feminism, of course, admits to multiple meanings. But in all its forms it nurtures a sensitivity to the social construction of gender and compels us to acknowledge the historical dimensions of what each of us may feel is natural and eternal in women."
Ideally, these kind of books are usually not popular with an average reader due to their content and length which can be laborious at times, unless you have an academic or intellectual interest in them. But the most interesting thing with this is that Berkin managed to keep it short and easy to read without so much obfuscation that characterises such books, and it will serve as a perfect overview for America's colonial times, and most importantly, women's role in them to anyone interested in that kind of literature. This is a book on feminism, written by a feminist, but not only for feminists. Equality is a common motif that runs through it and Berkin's wonderful and poetic pose will hold you from the first page to the last.
My favourite quote:
"Feminism, of course, admits to multiple meanings. But in all its forms it nurtures a sensitivity to the social construction of gender and compels us to acknowledge the historical dimensions of what each of us may feel is natural and eternal in women."
January 16, 2011
This book is outstanding! The only thing that kept it from being a 5 star is that I felt the chapter on African American women's experience was too light.
I loved how this book fleshed out my basic understanding of colonial life. Even though some of the information was somewhat shocking (some Indian communities responded to the threat of English rape/sexual relations with the women in their groups by providing designated women to provide for the English male "needs") it never conflicted with conventional history. The difficulties of early colonial life and the effect of the sexual imbalance as men outnumbered women explains much of later gender roles as well as a lot of early society. Revolutionay women and their response to war on the home front sheds light on what civilians in any war experience. I never understood how Sacagewea and Pocahontas played such important roles as intermediaries between colonists and Indians. Berkin explains that in the early days, though, women held powerful roles in their tribes as leaders, so this connection makes more sense. Also, Berkin explains how the communities interrelated as some Indians took in white refugees from colonial rule and took in captured white children to replace their own children whom they had lost to disease or war. She also explains that some Indians were kidnapped and taken to Europe as curiosities and, in a sense, ambassadors. Suddenly it makes sense that there were bilingual Indians to help the Pilgrims when they settled in Massachusetts! The rise of consumerism in the mid-1700s was news to me. I just never granted it much significance. But Berkin explains how this influenced social roles and political and economic developments. The descriptions of the women and children war camp followers were really eye opening. It also made the idea of female soldiers less outrageous than a natural occurance. Fascinating!!
The cover of the book is a perfect symbol for the history inside: the author (and the rest of us) are direct descendents of all the women who came before us. I am hugely in debt to the Carol Berkin for collecting many of the historical documents from these women and putting them together in a history that reveals herstory--our story.
New (to me) Fact: Quakers kept slaves. This was in the chapter about women's work.
I loved how this book fleshed out my basic understanding of colonial life. Even though some of the information was somewhat shocking (some Indian communities responded to the threat of English rape/sexual relations with the women in their groups by providing designated women to provide for the English male "needs") it never conflicted with conventional history. The difficulties of early colonial life and the effect of the sexual imbalance as men outnumbered women explains much of later gender roles as well as a lot of early society. Revolutionay women and their response to war on the home front sheds light on what civilians in any war experience. I never understood how Sacagewea and Pocahontas played such important roles as intermediaries between colonists and Indians. Berkin explains that in the early days, though, women held powerful roles in their tribes as leaders, so this connection makes more sense. Also, Berkin explains how the communities interrelated as some Indians took in white refugees from colonial rule and took in captured white children to replace their own children whom they had lost to disease or war. She also explains that some Indians were kidnapped and taken to Europe as curiosities and, in a sense, ambassadors. Suddenly it makes sense that there were bilingual Indians to help the Pilgrims when they settled in Massachusetts! The rise of consumerism in the mid-1700s was news to me. I just never granted it much significance. But Berkin explains how this influenced social roles and political and economic developments. The descriptions of the women and children war camp followers were really eye opening. It also made the idea of female soldiers less outrageous than a natural occurance. Fascinating!!
The cover of the book is a perfect symbol for the history inside: the author (and the rest of us) are direct descendents of all the women who came before us. I am hugely in debt to the Carol Berkin for collecting many of the historical documents from these women and putting them together in a history that reveals herstory--our story.
New (to me) Fact: Quakers kept slaves. This was in the chapter about women's work.
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May 1, 2021Berkin provides rich narratives of specific colonial women to describe their varied experiences, and it is within the variation that she believes one can bring these women to life. First Generations approaches the subject of colonial women and their experiences from a feminist perspectives. Much of what we know comes from legal documents and it seems that with marriage (and its significance as a gateway to adulthood), women's rights diminished as they were treated as "children, idiots, and criminals." Public order was a priority, and to transgress family fules and norms was to upset public order. The difference in gender roles and relationship among Quakers upset the Puritans. The witch trials, Berkin points out, took place during the transfer of power from a Puritan to a royal regime and the transition between agrarian and industrial economies, which created great tension. In contrast to the settlers, many Indians held women in esteem, some even following matriarchal hierarchy. The middle colonies had a varied expressions of women's proper work roles creating a "Babel of Confusion." Slaves too lacked uniformity in structure and treatment. Virginia and Maryland plantations preserved African folk traditions of magic etc... Immigration increased the diversity of colonial experience. "A rural white woman's daily life, then, was shaped by her race, her social class, and by where she was in the socially defined life cycle." (141) The Revolution changed the role of women, and indeed their mobilization efforts were vital to success.
October 14, 2018
I've used this several times now in teaching early American women's history. It's a very good synthesis, and Berkin opens each chapter with an individual woman whose life story illuminates the focus of the chapter.
October 9, 2011
This is a well-written and engaging book that offers a history of colonial women through individual and personal accounts. I would not recommend this book,however, to readers hoping for equal descriptions of Euro-American, Native American, and African American women. Due in part to the available documentation and I think author preference, this book does focus on white women of varying social classes with only two chapters devoted to all the rest of women living in Colonial America. Still a very interesting read in a very reader-friendly style.
November 15, 2010
LJ user munkymp3 says, "This is book on how women were treated in the colonial era, whether Puritan or Native American. It's a great documentation of a string of historical events. A bit dry in writing but it's good if you want to understand how women were respected (and how they weren't) compared to today. It gave me a great understanding of how society has progressed and how they've regressed."
June 25, 2009
Read for History 556
Berkin's style of honing in on specific women and telling their stories, then zooming out to put them in a broader historical setting was not only informative, but actually INTERESTING- something not always easy to do. She also focused on women in the many diverse environments in early America: not merely the Puritan women of New England. A good read for outside the classroom as well!
Berkin's style of honing in on specific women and telling their stories, then zooming out to put them in a broader historical setting was not only informative, but actually INTERESTING- something not always easy to do. She also focused on women in the many diverse environments in early America: not merely the Puritan women of New England. A good read for outside the classroom as well!
October 20, 2011
Interesting, clear, and concise. I read it for school, but I didn't mind doing the readings at all. It's more about breadth and not so much on depth, but it does give a really interesting quick look at the different types of women in colonial America and the differences and similarities in their experiences.
I wouldn't necessarily read it for pleasure, but if it is a subject that particularly appeals to you, then I would say go ahead and read it.
I wouldn't necessarily read it for pleasure, but if it is a subject that particularly appeals to you, then I would say go ahead and read it.
March 17, 2008
This book is a set of individual case studies representing women of different regions. A interesting and quick read. A good overview to women in the mostly early colonial era.
August 20, 2010
You really have to like all things: Social-anthropological to appreciate all the information in this text
March 6, 2024
Berkin recognizes and acknowledges that a book about women's experience in colonial America can't be complete unless it includes the perspectives of Native women and African-American women in addition to white women. She works to include information on Native and African American women in this book, but it's also clear that the information available is lacking.
In each chapter, she highlights the story of a colonial woman. Many of the women she portrays are exceptional. They're colonial women who worked in trade or agriculture, or women who had a voice in religion or politics. The stories of the white women are more or less complete. The stories of the Native and African women are less so. For example, in the chapter on African-American women, she tells the story of a free woman and her husband, but the family eventually just disappears from record. I'm left feeling like Berkin made this important piece of work that showcases women from colonial America, but also ends up highlighting racial inequities that exist even in our historical documents. Although her book does not fill this void, it's still valuable and exposes readers to part of our nation's history that we don't often see.
In each chapter, she highlights the story of a colonial woman. Many of the women she portrays are exceptional. They're colonial women who worked in trade or agriculture, or women who had a voice in religion or politics. The stories of the white women are more or less complete. The stories of the Native and African women are less so. For example, in the chapter on African-American women, she tells the story of a free woman and her husband, but the family eventually just disappears from record. I'm left feeling like Berkin made this important piece of work that showcases women from colonial America, but also ends up highlighting racial inequities that exist even in our historical documents. Although her book does not fill this void, it's still valuable and exposes readers to part of our nation's history that we don't often see.
November 19, 2024
This is an excellent broad strokes introduction to women's roles in early American history, particularly for being released on 1996. Berkin takes an intersectional approach that emphasizes how fundamentally race and class as well as gender shaped these women's experiences. She raises key questions and considerations in a very approachable and engaging way and draws the reader into a discussion.
Some of the research might be considered outdated nearly 30 years after publication, but one of the strengths of First Generations is Berkin's repeated emphasis on the challenges presented not just by a gap in the archive of women's experiences, but the intentional erasure of Black and Indigenous voices.
The biggest misstep in First Generations is the lack of footnotes and a complete reference list. Berkin does a substantial "bibliographical essay" for each at the end, but despite the diverse and solid body of research she lays out for source material, the book does suffer from not being able to look up the exact source for a specific claim.
I still enjoyed this more than I was expecting to and would definitely recommend it as an accessible scholarly intro to the topic.
Some of the research might be considered outdated nearly 30 years after publication, but one of the strengths of First Generations is Berkin's repeated emphasis on the challenges presented not just by a gap in the archive of women's experiences, but the intentional erasure of Black and Indigenous voices.
The biggest misstep in First Generations is the lack of footnotes and a complete reference list. Berkin does a substantial "bibliographical essay" for each at the end, but despite the diverse and solid body of research she lays out for source material, the book does suffer from not being able to look up the exact source for a specific claim.
I still enjoyed this more than I was expecting to and would definitely recommend it as an accessible scholarly intro to the topic.
July 20, 2020
Really enjoyed this book! Examines the lives of seventeenth and eighteenth century Indian, European and African women in America.
I really liked the way that the book is laid out, each chapter starts with a specific story of a woman and then branches out to the collective experiences of women like her. You get a sense of the varieties of female lives that were lived and defined by their gender but separated by their region, class and race.
Very interesting to learn about history and not dry at all. I think I got this recommendation from White Fragility. This book made me more curious about my own Ojibwe roots which was something I've rejected until now. So that is cool!
I love reading about the rituals and experiences that are new. There was more information about Salem and the Goodwives of New England. It's hard to pick a favorite, but the most intense chapter was "In a "Babel of Confusion" : Women in the Middle Colonies" because the amount of variation was so extreme and some of the stories so brutal, it was shocking to read about.
I really liked the way that the book is laid out, each chapter starts with a specific story of a woman and then branches out to the collective experiences of women like her. You get a sense of the varieties of female lives that were lived and defined by their gender but separated by their region, class and race.
Very interesting to learn about history and not dry at all. I think I got this recommendation from White Fragility. This book made me more curious about my own Ojibwe roots which was something I've rejected until now. So that is cool!
I love reading about the rituals and experiences that are new. There was more information about Salem and the Goodwives of New England. It's hard to pick a favorite, but the most intense chapter was "In a "Babel of Confusion" : Women in the Middle Colonies" because the amount of variation was so extreme and some of the stories so brutal, it was shocking to read about.
January 19, 2020
THIS is what you call a history book. It’s engaging and thought provoking on a very interesting topic. Berkin begins each chapter with a brief but illuminating introduction to a contemporary woman - very much like a case study - who she uses as a springboard for discussion on the geographical, economical, sociological (etc etc) context. Continuing to draw upon her ‘case study’ example and her ‘sisters’, Berkin helps the reader navigate colonial America with a touching personal perspective. Whilst this is obviously an academic work, at times it reads very much like a novel, and there are certainly points that made me sad, and times I smiled.
A concise and intriguing insight into colonial women’s lives, all of the personal examples are so dignified and human that it really makes this retelling of history feel animated.
A concise and intriguing insight into colonial women’s lives, all of the personal examples are so dignified and human that it really makes this retelling of history feel animated.
August 9, 2018
This is an excellent, readable survey of women’s lives during the colonial period. Using a single exemplar for each chapter covering women from different regions, classes, races and time periods, and filling in gaps using other examples and forms of historical data, the book does a good job of giving us a sense of women’s choices as well as confronting the difficulty of such work based on the availability of sources. One strong disappointment, however, is the omission of sexual violence from the treatment of enslaved women. Many of the other horrors of slavery are handled well, so I wonder why this went unaddressed. I’m guessing that if this book were revised today, the author would not make the same mistake.
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January 31, 2023"Feminism, of course, admits to multiple meanings. But in all its forms it nurtures a sensitivity to the social construction of gender and compels us to acknowledge the historical dimensions of what each of us may feel is natural and eternal in women."
"No colonial woman I encountered was ever simply a woman. It was her multiple and sometimes conflicting identities that gave her life dimension and complexity."
"No colonial woman I encountered was ever simply a woman. It was her multiple and sometimes conflicting identities that gave her life dimension and complexity."
July 30, 2018
A little scattershot jumping between women, time and area. It bounced around back then back again so that it muddied which were doing what at the end. It was as diverse as possible given surviving records so you did get a taste of different tribes, races, and social economic backgrounds.
July 16, 2019
An interesting introduction to the lives and social conditions of women from various racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in different regions of colonial America, but it does not go into great depth on any of them.
May 23, 2021
Was a little dry. But I just wanted to learn more about some of the women from the colonial time.
October 12, 2021
Okay not great. I wish it had foot notes so that I could have seen where her information came from.
September 14, 2025
A collection of biographies and a general exploration of the world of colonial America from the eyes of women of that age.
June 2, 2021
I've been searching Goodreads and book lists looking for female-authored books about certain American historical periods. The choices are limited, to say the least, especially if you're not into reading dissertations for fun. So, I was pleasantly surprised by First Generations. I found this book highly readable and fascinating, despite not having much interest in this time period at all. Carol Berkin has a talent for synthesizing history in a way that feels inclusive without being overwhelming or too generalized.
First Generations breaks colonial history down into four key regions in the present-day United States: New England, the middle colonies, the Chesapeake Bay, and the South. Each of the regions had a different purpose for being colonized and a dominant regional culture that informs American political culture even to this day. Two chapters also deal with the unique early colonial experiences of indigenous women and black women.
Berkin follows these hyper-regional colonies as they transform into a populous, multicultural, self-sufficient country capable of independence. This was in huge part because of the contributions of women, both as a labor force and as domestic partners. Colonization extracted labor, wealth, and agency from women for the benefit of white men in power at every point in the process.
Inheritance and marriage laws, inconsistent servitude and slavery systems, and the chaotic organization of the colonies allowed some women to find modest roles in the public sphere. As the colonies consolidated under British rule, however, these relative freedoms diminished. It's also important to note that indigenous women did not have opportunities and were fighting for the survival of their cultures from the moment of European contact. Ultimately, Berkin argues that any variety in colonial norms were consolidated into "republican womanhood," a gender norm that silenced white women's political voice, individualism, and material interests; entrenched the enslavement of black women; and wholly subjugated indigenous women.
As you might have guessed, First Generations is skewed heavily towards the experiences of white women of privilege. However, the broad experiences of black women, working class white women, and indigenous women (who are acknowledged far too little) are fleshed out through educated analysis, ethnographic information, and their interactions with the legal system. To compensate for this disproportionate representation, Berkin emphasizes that white men of privilege authored and informed most of our documented history of the era, and she acknowledges people's whiteness throughout the book. She also deconstructs paternalist views of the South and stresses that the culture, family units, and economies built by enslaved women were forms of resistance to slavery.
Ultimately, the only thing I disliked about the book are things that weren't included. Indigenous women are not given their proper due and are treated as an afterthought in the text, with a fate so inevitable and horrific that it wasn't worth deeply examining any forms of resistance to colonization. Another reviewer also pointed out that sexual violence is rarely mentioned in the book, which I know was systematically perpetrated on indigenous women and enslaved women (as well as countless others). As a non-historian, I'm honestly not sure how to judge these exclusions, but I just didn't enjoy knowing that information about significant groups of people and the systemic trauma inflicted on them was missing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the process of re-learning our history and specifically learning more about the history of women in America. I would love to read the version of this book Carol Berkin would write in 2020.
First Generations breaks colonial history down into four key regions in the present-day United States: New England, the middle colonies, the Chesapeake Bay, and the South. Each of the regions had a different purpose for being colonized and a dominant regional culture that informs American political culture even to this day. Two chapters also deal with the unique early colonial experiences of indigenous women and black women.
Berkin follows these hyper-regional colonies as they transform into a populous, multicultural, self-sufficient country capable of independence. This was in huge part because of the contributions of women, both as a labor force and as domestic partners. Colonization extracted labor, wealth, and agency from women for the benefit of white men in power at every point in the process.
Inheritance and marriage laws, inconsistent servitude and slavery systems, and the chaotic organization of the colonies allowed some women to find modest roles in the public sphere. As the colonies consolidated under British rule, however, these relative freedoms diminished. It's also important to note that indigenous women did not have opportunities and were fighting for the survival of their cultures from the moment of European contact. Ultimately, Berkin argues that any variety in colonial norms were consolidated into "republican womanhood," a gender norm that silenced white women's political voice, individualism, and material interests; entrenched the enslavement of black women; and wholly subjugated indigenous women.
As you might have guessed, First Generations is skewed heavily towards the experiences of white women of privilege. However, the broad experiences of black women, working class white women, and indigenous women (who are acknowledged far too little) are fleshed out through educated analysis, ethnographic information, and their interactions with the legal system. To compensate for this disproportionate representation, Berkin emphasizes that white men of privilege authored and informed most of our documented history of the era, and she acknowledges people's whiteness throughout the book. She also deconstructs paternalist views of the South and stresses that the culture, family units, and economies built by enslaved women were forms of resistance to slavery.
Ultimately, the only thing I disliked about the book are things that weren't included. Indigenous women are not given their proper due and are treated as an afterthought in the text, with a fate so inevitable and horrific that it wasn't worth deeply examining any forms of resistance to colonization. Another reviewer also pointed out that sexual violence is rarely mentioned in the book, which I know was systematically perpetrated on indigenous women and enslaved women (as well as countless others). As a non-historian, I'm honestly not sure how to judge these exclusions, but I just didn't enjoy knowing that information about significant groups of people and the systemic trauma inflicted on them was missing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the process of re-learning our history and specifically learning more about the history of women in America. I would love to read the version of this book Carol Berkin would write in 2020.
September 4, 2014
"Women in Colonial America" is not a topic on which there exists an extensive amount of primary source material. Carol Berkin has nevertheless put together an interesting and enlightening book on what life was like for women in colonial America. What's more (and what was my favorite aspect of the book), she discusses the differences in the lives of women between the different regions of America. A Massachusetts woman did not have the same life experience as a Virginian, and it's these differences that really breathes life, complexity, and interest into a world some two hundred and fifty years removed from our own. After a childhood education where the "thirteen colonies" were handled practically as a single entity, I found Berkin's book to be enlightening and refreshing.
September 30, 2013
This was an excellent book about early colonial women. I now understand the different inheritance issues depending on the colony and the will of the husband. I loved that the author picked out women from different colonial regions to tell their story. I met this author at a conference and wish I had all her books for her to autograph for me. Highly recommend this book.
August 5, 2013
Very readable book that provides interesting information about everyday life in colonial America, much of which I had not read in any other history book. It really helped flesh out my understanding of the challenges faced by the different segments of the population during that era.
December 5, 2013
Hate It
August 12, 2014
Engaging read that paints a vivid picture of women's lives in Colonial times (especially given the dearth of primary sources.)
November 30, 2016
Native American, black, and white women's experiences during Colonial America are often overlooked and erased from history. This book does an excellent job at including these histories.
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