Martha Ballard

After reading this week's article (you'll find it under "assignments" on the course Blackboard site), please write a paragraph or two in which you discuss the following:
1. Martha Ballard's role in society (both as a worker and as a woman) - why is it significant?
2. The basis of Ulrich's evidence and how she uses this evidence to construct a narrative
3. Your impression of the article (Did you enjoy it? Why? Why not? Provide specific examples to explain what you did or did not enjoy about the article).

Puritan Daily Life and Concerns

In light of our discussion of Puritans last week take a look at "A Puritan Maiden's Diary" on the Cornell Library website.

This link 1675 diary of a Puritan girl, its author is unknown, appears to begin on her birthday and covers, roughly, a two year period. It was first published in the late 19th century - the link is to the article as it was originally published with text from the diary. Read through the article and text (it's five pages) and then write a paragraph or two about the diary.

What seem to be some of the girl's major concerns? What kind of a "snapshot" of Puritan daily life does it provide? What do we learn about Puritan daily life? How does this account compare to some of your other readings about Puritans and what you learned in lecture about their daily lives and concerns?