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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many young women did Martha employ in her home between the years of 1785-1800?
(a) 27
(b) 30
(c) 39
(d) 29

2. What was Ephraim's profession?
(a) Lawyer and miller
(b) Surveyor and miller
(c) Surveyor and judge
(d) Lawyer and judge

3. Society during Martha's time was described as a ___________________.
(a) ripple in a pool
(b) spider's web
(c) blue-checked cloth
(d) ladder

4. What does Martha charge for each birth?
(a) 3 shillings
(b) 12 shillings
(c) 10 shillings
(d) 6 shillings

5. In what town to Martha and Ephraim settle?
(a) Houston
(b) Hingham
(c) Hallowell
(d) Hightower

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Martha able to keep her daughters at home for the majority of their young adult lives?

2. In what town are the Ballards living in 1787?

3. What was the relationship between doctors and midwives during this period?

4. What happened to the man accused of raping Rebecca?

5. How many children does Martha deliver in her lifetime?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Explain why the summer of 1787 was very harrowing for the Ballard family.

3. Explain how courtship and marriage during Martha's life were very different from popular perception of the time period.

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

5. How many doctors and midwives were available in the Hallowell area at the time?

6. Although premarital sex was acknowledged as a common practice, it was also illegal. Explain the repercussions for both people involved.

7. How has Martha's diary been perceived by historians?

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

9. What was the religious structure in Hallowell and who was the minister in the town?

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

(see the answer keys)

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