a woman's work is never done

Although the majority of women chose to stay home, where society believed a woman should be, many ventured out into the working world either to begin their own business or to work for others in order to support themselves and their families. But whether a woman sought paid employment, or stayed at home to work in the domestic realm, she was always working. As Martha Ballard, a well-known eighteenth-century woman, wrote in her journal on Nov. 26, 1795, "A womans work is Never Done as ye Song Says, and happy Shee whos Strength holds out to the End..."
This exhibition brings together a selection of images from the Society's collections that illustrate many facets of American women's work, from the beginning of the American Revolution through the Industrial Revolution.