This new edition of a widely-acclaimed anthology integrates the best of the extensive new scholarship in women's history with American history as a whole. Some sixty documents and articles--ranging from accounts of seventeenth-century obstetrical practices to an analysis of contemporary feminism--are framed by a conceptually sophisticated yet accessible introduction that demonstrates how biology, economics, politics, and ideology interact in the rich, distinctive history of American women. The innovative second edition demonstrates with new force and vigor why gender has become a powerful analytical device for those seeking to understand the past and present. Features: *Provides a comprehensive sampling of the best and most readable essays by renowned scholars of American women's history. * Integrates original historical documents with articles by contemporary scholars on a wide range of topics * Lists essential documents which relate past legal decisions to contemporary issues such as the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, military draft for women, and economic equity and comparable worth New to the second edition: * Nine new essays, four documents, and one legal case, included in light of consultation with more than two-dozen scholars and teachers who have used Women's America in their classrooms * Updated and revised concluding essay by Jane De Hart-Mathews, presenting statistical data that constitute a startling reminder of major inequities that persist amidst the gains of recent decades * Revised headnotes within the text and for nearly half of the "Essential Documents" * Updated bibliography, containing more than one-third new entries, plus a listing of useful films