<div><div>Women in the 1770s had few rights, especially if married: they could not vote, make a contract, sue or be sued in their own names.  They were barred from higher education and their earnings or incomes belonged to their husbands who could beat them and declare them insane.  This remarkable collection of documents offers readers access to a range of primary materials covering the major themes of women's experience: their position in law, marriage and the family, education, work, politics, sexuality and health.  </div></div>