A Midwife’s Tale by Martha Ballard Essay - 1087 Words

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, it became one of his greatest legacies. In the first line he wrote, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (U.S. Constitution, paragraph 2). Jefferson wrote these words to give inspiration to future generations in the hopes that they would be able to change what he either would or could not. The word â€Å"men† in the Declaration in the early 1700 and 1800’s meant exactly that, but even then it only was true for some men, not all. Women, children, and other segments of the population such as slaves and Native Americans were clearly not included. Jefferson himself was a slave owner and held the belief that women were†¦show more content†¦Medical knowledge and the production of textiles were valuable and necessary commodities – medical knowledge was essential for everyday problems as well as during outbreaks of disease. Textiles were crucial for the local and national economy as they were locally produced, traded and exported. Martha was a midwife who helped successfully bring hundreds of babies into the world and she was also played a huge role in seeing to the wellness and welfare of the community. As a midwife, Martha served anyone who required her, regardless of their religion, race or place in society. Socializing was an important part of daily life. Even when Martha spent days at home, she was still connected to the locals, which is evident in the way she described the visitors she had. In 1790 alone, â€Å"Martha recorded 642 encounters, at home or abroad with 299 persons outside her family† (Ulrich 92). Martha was paid for her services – she sometimes had to travel great distances in treacherous weather to reach her patients and she kept records in her diary about the circumstances she found herself in while carefully recording births, deaths, marriages, weather, and other events, both important and mundane. Spinning, orShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Martha Ballard s Diary And Laurel Thatcher Ulrich s Transcription Of Such, A Midwife s Tale1153 Words   |  5 PagesMartha Ballard, while to many the messiah of Maine, might have been more of a parading pestilence as she moved throughout the town giving treatment and illness, one and the same. Throughout Martha Ballard’s diary and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s transcription of such, A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, various examples of transmission can be seen with some cases leaving individuals dead and families destroyed. Such sicknesses included Dysentery, Scarlet Fever, and unidentified illnesses. WhileRead MoreSummary Of A Midwife s Tale 1507 Words   |  7 PagesHistorian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich provides a glimpse of America post Revolutionary war through her critically acclaimed book, A Midwife’s Tale, which is the interpretation of Martha Ballard’s seemingly humble diary—a record of he r life as a midwife, mother, wife, and caregiver from 1785 through 1812. The book features Ballard’s account of her average day’s activities, which, in turn, serves to represent the tasks of women in her society; however, Ulrich cross-references the diary with documents suchRead MoreAn Analysis of Laurel Ulrichs A Midwifes Tale620 Words   |  2 Pagesï » ¿Laurel Ulrichs Midwife Tale did a good job interpreting and using Martha Ballards diary to provide a descriptive and impartial account of the 18th century period in womens history, with particular insight into colonial attitudes towards rape. Ulrichs method of piecing together the event of Rebecca Fosters rape has Martha Ballards diary as a starting point, is chronologically structured, thorough and attempts to cover any historically relevant information by expanding on various adjacentRead More Laurel Ulrichs A Midwifes Tale Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesLaurel Ulrichs A Midwifes Tale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I watched A Midwifes Tale, a movie created from the diary found by Laurel Ulrich chronicling the life of a woman named Martha Ballard, I thought the women in these times were just housewives and nothing else. I pictured them doing the cleaning and the cooking for their husbands and not being very smart because of the lack of education or them being unable to work. My view on the subject changed however when I watched this specific womans lifeRead MoreThe Midwife s Tale By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich1255 Words   |  6 Pagesmundane lives and rarely got to speak up for themselves. In the book, The Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, it follows the life of Martha Ballard through the use of her own diary. Martha Ballard captures the lives of common women in the Early Republic Era by providing an authentic record of the role women played in their communities throughout the developmental years of the United States. Some back story on Martha Ballard to give her diary some more context would be that she was born in 1735Read MoreA Midwifes Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich1763 Words   |  8 PagesA Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich tells the story of Martha Ballard; a midwife, healer, wife, mother, and eighteenth-century woman. In this book, the reader learns of this hardworking woman, the social web she lived in, and the workings of her town through personal accounts from the diarist and the author’s thorough analysis of them. Martha is a diligent woman who makes good use of her connections with the rest of the female community. She keeps up-to-date accounts of how her patients areRead MoreIn Figure 3.6, â€Å"A Society Of Patriotic Ladies† (1774),1536 Words   |  7 Pagesbut also their mother. Midwife’s Tale Martha Ballard’s life shared the life of most â€Å"middle class† females during the Revolution. Her life had some differences compared to women in the Colonial Era. Martha was education and given more responsibilities than females in the colonial era. For example, when her husband was in jail she was given his responsibilities till he had returned. Whereas, in the Colonial Era, another male would take on his responsibilities. Martha and her husband seemed toRead MoreThe Effect Of Gender Roles Of Male Physicians And Female Midwives1047 Words   |  5 Pagesof childbirth. In A Midwife’s Tale, Laurel Ulrich explores Martha’s diary to present the challenges midwives faced during the late 18th century. Midwives, such as Martha Ballard, were challenged by male physicians and diverged from the style of their work because of the perception that omen were considered more emotional, nurturing, and social in their work while men were more knowledgeable of science, anatomy, and new tools. Ulrich writes that female midwives, such as Martha, were viewed to be moreRead MoreWhy The Colonists Become American After The Revolution?1348 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican. Not only do we have examples from history that help define what an American is we also have examples from books in this instance I am referring to A MIDWIFE’S TALE, A HISTORY OF JONATHAN ALDER, and VOICES FROM SLAVERY. In general A MIDWIFE’S TALE shows us how life for Americans were at this time through diary entries of Martha Ballard but more specific it gives us a understanding of how the opportunities were at this time were not so great for women. As for A HISTORY OF JONATHAN ALDER we canRead MoreAmerican History : The Eyes Of A Woman1171 Words   |  5 Pagesthe earth. Typically, this was a man’s job in other cultures, however Indian women worked with pride and embraced their role. Another example of power is the authority and independence women had around her household. In the film, A Midwife’s Tale, Martha Ballard was a midwife and also had responsibilities around her own home. As a midwife, she was given power by the court to determine who th e father of an unborn child was, and also was given power to tend to women’s bodies in a time of distress