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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. What is the perception of midwives among those in authority?

2. Who does Jonathan Ballard marry in February of 1792?

3. How could birth be a dangerous process?

4. For how many years did Martha work as a midwife?

5. What role did the men play in the delivery of a child?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Martha Ballard grow up and when did she marry her husband/

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

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

4. In addition to being a midwife, Martha also had a weaving business. How did that get started?

5. How much detail did Martha include in her diary about each birth?

6. How was Reverend Foster's wife, Rebecca, received in Hallowell?

7. Explain the community's position on premarital sex and how Martha's own family was embroiled in a situation regarding premarital sex.

8. How did people perceive Martha in the community?

9. What was the opinion of Reverend Foster by the Calvinists in the town and whose was the principal voice among them?

10. How did Martha get started as a midwife in Hallowell?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of the midwife in 18th century colonial America. What made Martha so successful in this role?

Essay Topic 2

In addition to details of each birth, explain what other information Martha included in her diary. Why do you think she veered off to include items not directly related to midwifery?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the methods by which Martha would obtain her medicines. How do those methods compare to alternative medicines today?

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