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Daniel Stetson
Dr. Holton
History 700
15 February 2016

Scholten,CatherineM.ChildbearinginAmericanSociety:16501850.NewYork:New
YorkUP,1985.

Ulrich,LaurelThatcher.AMidwife'sTale:TheLifeofMarthaBallard,BasedonHer
Diary,17851812.NewYork:Knopf,1990.

Radical changes across the American landscape of the late 18th and early 19th

century are undeniable, but the ways in which these sweeping changes affected the

women of that era are less clear. The turn of the century had no shortage of disadvantaged

groupsincluding blacks, Native Americans, and womenall wondering how this

newly acquired liberty applied to them. Catherine M. Scholtens Childbearing in

American Society: 1650-1850 and Laurel Thatcher Ulrichs A Midwifes Tale attempt to

shine light on the historically overlooked perspective of women during this time period.

While Scholten and Ulrich both offer comparable descriptions of midwifery after the

Revolution, they diverge in their portrayal of colonial goodwives and the emerging role

of republican mothers.

Scholten and Ulrich provide similar analysis of the life of a colonial midwife, but

deviate from one another as Scholten turns her focus to the growing cities of the young

nation while Ulrich remains in small-town Maine. It should not be surprising that these

two authors find common ground in the colonial midwife, as Scholten also delves into the

Martha Ballard diary. Still, in considering both of these works, one should refrain from

assuming that roles and norms of midwifery remained consistent throughout America. As

Scholten diverges into the changes being seen in major American cities, Ulrich stays in
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Hallowell, where Ballards place in society remains relatively unchanged. While

midwifery in Hallowell is business as usual, Scholten describes a revolution in obstetrics

taking place in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. The stark differences

in the worlds described by Scholten and Ulrich illustrate the difficulty in comparing the

plights of women before and after the Revolution. Female roles may have seen changes

after the war, but the growing differences between women in rural and urban

communities were more inescapable.

While midwives in rural and urban settings saw a different rate of medical

change, both rural and urban midwives faced influence from male physicians in the world

of childbirth. Colonial births were a female-dominated sphere, but interactions with male

physicians were inevitable for any midwife. The working relationship between Martha

Ballard and Dr. Cony illustrates a relationship of both deference and conflict. Ballard and

Conys exchanges were not without tense accusations and second-guessing, but midwives

in larger cities were being pushed out of their profession altogether. Ulrich briefly

touches on this campaign by male physicians to take over the medical world of childbirth,

explaining that such efforts had little effect on Ballards life.

At the turn of the century, the gender roles relating to childbirth were changing,

and Scholten and Ulrich employ distinctly different approaches to explain the same

revolution. Ulrichs work centers on the story of Martha Ballard, while Scholten

examines midwives with a much wider scope. Scholten references many physicians who

offer their direct objection to midwives, centering the argument on the belief that a

woman did not have the emotional or intellectual capacity required to succeed in the

medical field. Ulrichs description of the relationship between Ballard and Dr. Cony hints
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at the same sentiment on a more personal level. Dr. Cony, not unlike the medical leaders

described by Scholten, is only comfortable with a woman in the field of healthcare to the

point that it does not overlap with his own influence. Once male physicians took an

interest in obstetrics, they were quick to assert their authority over women, just as Dr.

Cony is quick to do the same to Ballard when he feels that she is encroaching on his

sphere of influence.

However, the role of womenincluding Martha Ballardin society was far from

limited to the role of midwife. The colonial goodwife and the republican mother both

played significant, albeit different, roles in American society. These two roles of the

American woman encompass the most significant difference between Scholtens and

Ulrichs works. Ulrich admits that her subject, Martha Ballard, is certainly more of a

colonial goodwife than the embodiment of republican motherhood. Contrary to

Scholtens description of colonial womens role in society, Ulrich portrays Ballard as a

strong, independent woman who carries a significant social stature in her community.

The many responsibilities and roles of Martha Ballard lend credence to the

historical assumption held by some that colonial America was a golden age for women.

Scholten firmly rebukes this assertion and counters with the thesis that women of that

time period were not able to procure more rights and respect until society came to focus

on their role as a mother. An extensive list of chores and household responsibilities is not

an argument for gender equality, Scholten argues. Ulrich does not directly argue this

point, but the details of Ballards extensive social, professional, and financial

independence certainly point to the crux of an argument for a colonial golden age for

women.
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Ulrichs work refrains from focusing on the idea of republican motherhood, as she

asserts Martha Ballard was far from the ideals prototype. However, Scholten and Ulrich

do both expand on the life of the colonial wife and mother, offering two very different

interpretations. Scholten admits that some colonial women gained satisfaction in

knowing that their work contributed directly to the survival of their families (Scholten

53) but focuses on the descriptions of these goodwives feeling bored, frustrated, and

exhausted. Ulrich does not dispute the heavy dose of patriarchy in Martha Ballards life,

but also shines light on this community life that for Martha Ballard and the women of

Hallowell shows a complex web of social and economic exchange that engaged women

beyond the household (Ulrich 76). Further contrasting Scholtens claim that colonial

women rarely conducted business outside of the home, Ulrich details the way in which

the Ballard womens labor resulted in independence in production, management, and

utilization of resources.

It is worth noting that by the time Martha Ballard begins her diary, she is fifty

years old and passed the age of a radical change in her view of motherhood. Ballards

descriptions of midwifery offer a contrast between urban and rural settings, but Ballard is

likely not the person to look toward to discover a revolution in motherhood during the

time of her diary entries. Therefore, it is difficult to surmise whether Scholtens

generalization of the change from colonial goodwife to republican mother in urban and

rural locales is an oversight or simply not the focus of Ulrichs research. According to

Scholten, by the turn of the century this evolution of motherhood had permeated the

nation. The myth of Mary Washington, along with the newly focused role of the mother,

was now ingrained in the American culture.

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Perhaps, instead of focusing on the motherhood of Ulrichs protagonist, one

should look toward younger mothers in Hallowell to find the newly formed ideals

described in Scholtens book. The closest interaction Martha Ballard has with a new

mother during her diary entries is Sally Ballard, who briefly shares a home with Martha

as Ephraim is imprisoned. It is not hard to imagine that one of the rifts in Sally and

Marthas strained relationship resulted from a different view on motherhood. It is difficult

to discern much from the curt diary entries of Martha Ballard, but Martha clearly has

problems with Sallys view of her role in the house.

Therefore, with Ulrichs limited expansion on the idea of republican motherhood

in her book, what can we learn about the subject, as compared to Scholtens extensive

descriptions on this new motherly mindset? We know from Scholten that the newly

formed republican motherhood stressed the mothers rule in instilling morality and virtue

into her offspring, giving mothers a concrete role in strengthening the young nation.

Conversely, Ulrich describes the political disposition of Martha Ballard, stating that her

life had been altered by the Revolution, but her identity was unrelated to the rituals of

republicanism (Ulrich 32). Scholten touches on the ideal of spiritualized motherhood

and the way it changed approaches to womans moral and intellectual capacities

(Scholten 51) in the 19th century. This kind of mother worship is something not seen in

the relationship between Martha and her son, Jonathan. For Ulrich, Martha Ballard is not

only the prototypical colonial goodwife, but she also represents everything that a

republican mother is not.

Contrasting scopes of study by Scholten and Ulrich offer the reader two unique

perspectives on the life of women before and after the American Revolution. The change
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of this era was not limited to the political sphere, as womens roles, expectations, and

status underwent substantial transformations. Scholten and Ulrichs works compared

together offer a compelling history of the lives of colonial goodwives and republican

mothers. Their insights remain at the heart of the debate over the effect of the Revolution

on American women.