Problem
History: Questions for "A Midwife's Tale"
I. How does Laura Thatcher Ulrich describe "finding Martha Ballard's voice" and the historical process?
II. What does she say about women and documents?
III. What was Ulrich's first task in the process of creating this history?
IV. Why did Ulrich like the "trivia" in the diary of Martha Ballard?
V. What did Ulrich discover by examining the entries documenting overnight stays and the "rush?"
VI. Why is the saw mill going up in flame of significance, and why does Martha say her daughter is eighteen this day?
VII. Describe Martha Ballard's home, the amount of personal space, and what family members are constantly doing?
VIII. Why did Ephram Ballard move his family to Maine and what was is like there?
IX. What happened while Mr. Foster was away seeking a new job?
X. Describe Martha's son Jonathan?
XI. What was the end goal of Martha's work and household system?
XII. Describe the contemporary attitude towards premarital sex. How was it confirmed that Jonathan was the father of Sally Pierce's unborn child?
XIII. When Martha and Ephram are getting old they are still__________________?
XIV. As the family's fortune's rose, what happened to Martha's life?
XV. How did her son Jonathan behave?
XVI. Why is Jonathan put into jail towards the end of the documentary?
XVII. What does the last four months of Martha's diary reveal?