Based on Give Me Liberty, (Seagull version), 7th edition, Volume 2 ebook by Eric Foner, Kathleen DuVal, Lisa McGirr. Identify, describe, and analyze the authors of Give Me Liberty’s primary claims in chapters 17 and 18 relative to gender within the United States. Explain the historical claims in detail for chapter 17 and 18 relative to gender within the United States.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
In Give Me Liberty! Seagull Edition, Volume 2, 7th edition by Eric Foner, Kathleen DuVal, and Lisa McGirr, chapters 17 and 18 examine the transformative years following Reconstruction and into the early twentieth century, emphasizing the evolving roles and struggles of gender in American society.
Chapter 17: Freedom’s Boundaries, at Home and Abroad (1890–1900)
This chapter highlights how gender roles were deeply tied to ideas of national identity and citizenship during the expansionist period. The authors argue that while the U.S. projected democratic ideals abroad, it simultaneously limited women’s roles at home. Women’s suffrage efforts grew, but their political rights remained restricted. The cult of domesticity still influenced public attitudes, placing women in subordinate positions. The rise of imperialism raised new debates about gender and race. For example, anti-imperialists and suffragists questioned how the U.S. could deny self-government to territories like the Philippines while also denying full citizenship to women. The chapter connects gender to broader national discussions of race, citizenship, and democracy.
Chapter 18: The Progressive Era (1900–1916)
Here, the authors present a more active role for women. They emphasize how the Progressive Era opened up opportunities for women to engage in public reform and challenge traditional gender norms. Women like Jane Addams, through the settlement house movement, helped expand women’s roles in social work and public policy. The authors claim that gender activism shaped Progressive reform. Women fought for labor rights, temperance, and suffrage. Organizations such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association gained momentum. The push for the vote and legal reforms positioned women as central actors in reshaping democracy.
In both chapters, Foner, DuVal, and McGirr assert that gender was not a passive background issue but a vital part of debates about freedom, citizenship, and justice. Women’s roles evolved from domestic figures to public reformers and political activists, helping reshape the nation’s understanding of democracy and equality.
