Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-146) and index.

Introduction : The silent woman ; Exploring women's social history ; Writing your female ancestors' stories ; About this book -- 1. Sources created by women : Letters ; Diaries and journals ; Relatives' and friends' letters and diaries ; Finding letters and diaries ; Letters and diaries written by women like your ancestor ; Family bibles ; Family artifacts and heirlooms ; Oral history ; Legislative petitions -- 2. Sources created about women : Research strategies ; Researching in original records ; Some typical and atypical sources -- 3. Additional sources for ethnic women : African American women ; Native American women ; Jewish American women -- 4. Methods for determining maiden names and parents : Solving identity problems ; Case studies ; Other genealogists' methods for identifying women -- 5. Writing about women ancestors : Women's social history ; Social history topics ; Blending social and family history: some examples ; Documenting your ancestor's history -- 6. From start to finish: a case study of Mary Fitzhugh (Stuart) Fitzhugh : Home sources ; Published genealogical sources ; Population schedules ; Probate and court records ; Slave schedules ; Social history research ; Reading Mary Fitzhugh's biography -- Appendix A : An overview of women's legal rights in America : Property, inheritance and divorce laws ; Naturalization laws ; Widow's pension application acts -- Appendix B : Matrilineal research and genetics -- Appendix C : Source checklist for researching female ancestors.