Going to Church.

One of the most fundamental facts about American religion is that, in one historian's words, "women go to church." In almost every time period and region, and in almost every religious tradition, women participants consistently outnumber men. This was certainly true across the United States from 1783 to 1815. Women were not necessarily more religious than men, but the religious institutions of the early republic would not have existed without the help of their women members. The explosive growth of Baptist and Methodist congregations on the frontier was often due to women who attended camp meetings and were so moved by the emotional preaching there that they claimed a conversion experience and joined the church. Such women continued to attend their local churches after returning home, often bringing their husbands and children with them. Most broadly, women invested huge amounts of time and energy...