Question: Rapid economic expansion in the US at the turn of the twentieth century brought
new opportunities both for womens work and how they spent their time away from work. But
the period also saw a good deal of conflict as capitalism (or more specifically, the workings of
labor markets and the development of new businesses) seemed out of step with expectations
based on traditional ideals of womanhood.
When you consider the impact of the economic expansion in the US at the turn of the twentieth century on both womens work and their leisure, do you see it as beneficial to women? Is your assessment the same for both working- and middle-class women?
Hints: In the introductory part of your essay, be clear about the new context you are assessing.
(That is, briefly summarize/explain the most significant elements of the transformation as you
see it).
For your thesis, you may either argue that the impact differed according to x or y (e.g.
access to education, work opportunities, the emergence of cultural venues, or other aspects of
class or geography) OR you may contend for a clear yes or no answer (such as: despite having to persist against middle-class expectations, working-class women gained important new
footholds OR though the era brought new opportunities, mostly they were superficial and
failed to meet the promise of more autonomy for women. )
About citations: Use internal cites, rather than footnotes. That is, after making a direct point
from Peiss or using a quote from her book, write at the end of the sentence (Peiss, 89). Or if
you used a quote from Catharaine Beecher, write at the end of the sentence (Beecher
handout). Outside sources are not recommended. However, if you do use outside sources, you
must cite them and append a full reference list to your paper.
Checklist/Rubric for grading essays
Conceptual understanding/Analysis: Does the argument consider how gender expectations
came into conflict with capitalism? How well does the thesis statement indicate an engagement
with material covered in this unit? Does the argument reflect a systematic weighing of
evidence?
Support: How well is the essay supported with historical evidence? Is the evidence given the
best material (of that covered) to support the larger argument? Does it reflect an
understanding of Peisss argument? Is the essay relatively free of factual errors?
Presentation: Is the essay relatively free of typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors? Is it
well-organized? Does it contain an intro, body, and conclusion? Is it divided into coherent, well-
developed paragraphs?
