NorthCarolinahashadmorethanitsshareofaccomplished,influentialwomen--womenwhohaveexpandedtheirsphereofinfluenceorbrokenthroughbarriersthathadlongdefinedandcircumscribedtheirlives,womensuchasElizabethMaxwellSteele,thewidowandtavernownerwhosupportedtheAmericanRevolution;HarrietJacobs,runawayslave,abolitionist,andauthorofIncidentsintheLifeofaSlaveGirl;andEdithVanderbiltandKatharineSmithReynolds,elitewomenwhopromotedwomen’sequality.ThiscollectionofessaysexaminesthelivesandtimesofpathbreakingNorthCarolinawomenfromthelateeighteenthcenturyintotheearlytwentiethcentury,offeringimportantnewinsightsintothevarietyofNorthCarolinawomen’sexperiencesacrosstime,place,race,andclass,andconveyshowwomenwereabletoexpandtheirconsiderableinfluenceduringperiodsofpoliticalchallengeandeconomichardship,particularlyoverthecourseofthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturies.TheseessayshighlightNorthCarolina’sprogressivestreakanditspositiveimpactonwomen’seducation--forwhiteandblackalike--beginningintheantebellumperiodonthroughnewopportunitiesthatopenedupinthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturies.Theyexplorethewaysindustrializationdrewlargenumbersofwomenintothepaidlaborforceforthefirsttimeandwhattheimplicationsofthistremendoustransitionwere;theyalsoexaminethewomenwhochallengedtraditionalgenderroles,aspoliticalleadersandlabororganizers,asrunaways,andaswidows.ThevolumeisespeciallyattunedtodifferencesinregionwithinNorthCarolina,delineatingwomen’sexperiencesintheeasternthirdofthestate,thepiedmont,andthewesternmountains.
