The Creation of the American Eve

This class will trace the debate over the nature and role of women in America during eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century America. The three main "voices" in this debate were conservative (women were to be domestic, pure, pious), liberal (women should have rights equal to men), and radical (marriage should be abolished). But a covert "cult of passion" arose in response to all three of these arguments, suggesting that following one's feelings led to the highest virtue.

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