In the nineteenth century, Woman's Exchanges formed a vast national network that created economic alternatives for financially vulnerable women in a world that permitted few respectable employment options. Many remain in business.
Kathleen Waters Sander delves into the history of Woman's Exchanges and looks at the women who led the organizations-and those who used them to stave off poverty. One of the nation's oldest continuously operating voluntary movements, Exchanges like the Philadelphia Ladies' Depository and the Dorcas Society were fashionable, popular shops where women who had fallen on hard times could sustain themselves. By selling their handiwork on consignment, they not only earned money but avoided the stigma of seeking public employment. As Sander shows, Exchanges evolved into an important forum for entrepreneurial growth. They also provide an example of how women used the voluntary sector, which had so successfully served as a conduit for their political and social reforms, to advance opportunities for economic independence.
In the nineteenth century, Woman's Exchanges formed a vast national network that created economic alternatives for financially vulnerable women in a world that permitted few respectable employment options. Many remain in business.
Kathleen Waters Sander delves into the history of Woman's Exchanges and looks at the women who led the organizations-and those who used them to stave off poverty. One of the nation's oldest continuously operating voluntary movements, Exchanges like the Philadelphia Ladies' Depository and the Dorcas Society were fashionable, popular shops where women who had fallen on hard times could sustain themselves. By selling their handiwork on consignment, they not only earned money but avoided the stigma of seeking public employment. As Sander shows, Exchanges evolved into an important forum for entrepreneurial growth. They also provide an example of how women used the voluntary sector, which had so successfully served as a conduit for their political and social reforms, to advance opportunities for economic independence.
Kathleen Waters Sander teaches history at the University of Maryland University College. She is the author of Mary Elizabeth Garrett: Society and Philanthropy in the Gilded Age.
"Besides being a well-written and humorous history of the Woman's Exchange Movement, The Business of Charityconfirms my thinking that our efforts today are as valid as they were at the turn of the century."--Manie Van Doren, former president, Board of Managers of the New York Exchange for Woman's Work
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