The third edition of this widely-acclaimed anthology integrates the best of recent scholarship in women's history with American history as a whole. A new introductory essay explains the ways in which the historical experiences of men and women in the United States have diverged, and traces the way in which gender has been socially constructed. Some seventy-five essays and documents--ranging from a letter written by a slave woman to an analysis of contemporary feminism--guide the reader to an understanding of the interaction of race, class, and gender throughout American history. With its wealth of primary and secondary source material, a revised appendix of essential legal documents, concise headnotes, and clear, chronological organization, the third edition of Women's America shows with new force and vigor why gender has become a powerful analytical device for those seeking to understand the history of the United States.