Loosening the Bonds

The first book to investigate the rich and complex lives of rural women during the late colonial and early national periods.  Jensen focuses on women in the Philadelphia hinterland and shows how they became an essential part of that area’s rise to agricultural prominence.   Examining not only the Quakers, who formed the dominant group in the region, but also black and other ethnic groups, Jensen offers fascinating details on the ways farm women functioned in the varied spheres of their lives.  Her book makes a major contribution to women’s history.