Michael F. Holt of the University of Virginia examines the use and acceptance of women in politics in the antebellum Whig and Democratic parties, focusing on Whig encouragement of the idea of women as the "moral center" of families.
To view this clip, select "Women's Roles in Whig Politics" under "Political Development Video."
Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY-Binghamton looks at the differing perceptions of women and family life held by antebellum political parties and the tensions this led to that may have contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
To view this clip, select "Women and Political Activity in the Antebellum Whig Party" under "Political Development Video."
John Mack Faragher of Yale University outlines the patterns of antebellum settlement in Illinois, looking also at ideas of family and an American desire for mobility as forces behind settlement.
Too view this clip, select "The Settlement of Illinois" under "Frontier Settlement Video."
Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY-Binghamton discusses the change in family structure in the mid-19th century which heralded the institutionalization of the "Victorian family," in which the husband and the wife were seen as inhabiting separate "spheres" of work and home.
To listen to this lecture, select "Family Life and the Development of the Middle Classes in Antebellum America" under "Economic Development and Labor Video."
Former Congresswoman Lindy Boggs and her daughter, noted journalist Cokie Roberts, join archivist Allen Weinstein for a conversation about their mother/daughter relationship in an influential political family. Mrs. Boggs served nine terms in the House of Representatives—the first woman elected to the House from that state. She was the first woman to chair a national political convention and the first woman to serve as Ambassador to the Vatican. Mrs. Boggs is the author of Washington Through a Purple Veil.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News covering Congress, politics, and public policy. She has won countless journalistic awards and has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. Her books include We Are Our Mothers' Daughters and Founding Mothers.
To listen to this interview, scroll to "Lindy Boggs and Cokie Roberts," and select "Watch the Video."
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discusses President John Quincy Adams and the challenges of his presidency.
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This iCue Mini-Documentary describes how domesticity became the expected role for middle-class women in the 19th century.
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Anti-alcoholism cartoons like this one, which depicts the nine steps of the "drunkard's progress," were widespread in the 19th century. Josh Brown of the American Social History Project explains why.
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This iCue Mini-Documentary describes one of the horrors of slavery: the separation of families. After Emancipation, slaves wandered hundreds of miles across the south to try to find their spouses and children.
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This iCue Mini-Documentary describes how, beginning in the 19th century, middle-class American children were offered more education. However, the majority of children were still working on farms and in factories.
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