A landmark textbook in U.S. women’s history, Though Women’s Eyes breathes life and vitality into American History through its unique and ambitious use of primary sources. Rather than set these documents off as supplemental material, Ellen Carol DuBois and Lynn Dumenil have chosen to make them part of the fabric of each chapter in an effort to… “reveal the relationship between secondary and original sources, to show history as a dynamic process of investigation and interpretation.” Material from the chapter on the Progressive Era, for example, includes a food ration poster, documents from the Great Migration, the Chicago Commission on Race Relations report, and personal letters. The authors are especially strong at seeking out the full spectrum of women’s voices, incorporating women from different classes, races, and immigrant populations in showing us history through their eyes. One of the more unique books on social issues, it’s an engaging approach to understanding America’s history.
