The English Woman in History

The English Woman in History explores the role of women in English society from Queen Elizabeth I to the end of the seventeenth century, highlighting the sense of injustice that drove them to write and the stages by which they achieved public responsibilities. It is a valuable resource for students and scholars of womens history, gender studies, and the womens movement.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

First published in 1957, The English Woman in History explores the evolving role of women within the changing fabric of English society. Since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the position of women in English society has been a subject of widespread discussion. In the seventeenth century, numerous men authored books that celebrated the virtues of women, drawing inspiration from the works of Thomas Heywood. These books primarily focused on individual women, while their authors generally advocated against the subjugation of all women to the unthinking dominance of men. Despite the legal subordination of married women to their husbands and the exclusion of women from public affairs, it was challenging to write objectively about the place of women in the world. The women who began to pen their thoughts at the end of the seventeenth century were driven by a sense of injustice, and men often patronized them with admiration for their charm and beauty, which held greater appeal than intelligence and wit.

However, with women assuming public responsibilities and achieving success, historians can now retrospectively trace the stages by which this position was secured. Lady Stenton has undertaken a comprehensive survey in this book, making it an essential read for students and scholars of women's history, gender studies, and the women's movement.

Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032226576