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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many people in the Ballard household get married in 1792?

2. A physician's training was ___________________________.

3. What is the state of Martha's accounts at this point?

4. Which of Martha's daughters spun yarn for weaving and trading?

5. What does Martha's diary provide to historians?

Short Essay Questions

1. How many times did Martha engage a doctor during her midwife practice?

2. How did Martha procure her medicines and what treatments did she advocate?

3. What were the typical courting practices in late 18th century America?

4. What was the role of a midwife in society and Martha's role in particular?

5. How did people perceive Martha in the community?

6. During what years did Martha keep her diary?

7. What was the outcome of the Rebecca Foster rape case?

8. How does Martha's diary show the male-dominated society in which she lived?

9. What is so amazing about Martha's diary and why do some people speculate that she began writing it?

10. What was the pattern of new births in the year 1793?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Martha's role in the male-dominated society. How is this dominance reflected in Martha's entries?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Martha's husband, Ephraim. What is known about him from Martha's entries? What were his professions?

Essay Topic 3

Martha seems to be a religious person with a strong belief in God, yet she does not attend church regularly. How do you account for Martha's behavior? How was the behavior viewed within the community?

(see the answer keys)

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