Catherine Lewis (history, Kennesaw State U.) and J. Richard Lewis, a desegregation consultant, collect primary documents showing how slavery impacted women of all types, including enslaved and free women, African American and white, wealthy and poor, Northern and Southern. After an introduction overviewing the main issues, the documents, including newspaper articles, broadsides, cartoons, pamphlets, speeches, photographs, memoirs, and editorials, are organized thematically in chapters on law, customs, and tradition; work and daily life; building community; resisting slavery; and the meaning of freedom. Headnotes for each document offer background. Some documents focus on a single woman's experience, while others, such as legal proceedings and laws, don't mention women but influenced their daily lives in important ways. Focus is on the US, but the book also includes some documents from other countries. Learning features include a timeline, suggested discussion questions and classroom and research activities, as well as an annotated bibliography. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)