Book Review: 'Founding Mothers' by Cokie Roberts

✰✰✰ Back in the day, a brief mention of the Founding Fathers in a high school history class was common. We learned about the accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and more, but what about the women of the American Revolution? Often the women, be it wives, mothers, or sisters, would only be mentioned in passing, if at all. 

Well, journalist Cokie Roberts wondered about them as well and dove into telling their stories. Using letters and research, Roberts gives us a behind-the-scenes look at life during Colonial times. While not in the spotlight, women like Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and Mercy Otis Warren were a force to be reckoned with. 

The Bottom Line: With many characters and long chapters, I had to read this book in small portions. I found the lives of these women to be fascinating, and I enjoyed learning about life during the American Revolution. These women made many contributions to American History; however, their efforts are seldom acknowledged. Recommended for American History classes for high school and college and for those interested in reading about the American Revolution. 

Book Club Notes: Members of our book club were eager to read about these clever and courageous women. On a scale from 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest, ratings ranged from 2.5 - 4, with an average of 3.2. This turned out to be an engaging discussion about what we thought we knew about the Founders of our country and what our new perspective brings to our understanding of the American Revolution. 

Highly recommended for American History buffs and those interested in Women's History. This was a great pick for book clubs due to the many stories of all the characters being woven together. We agreed that this book was useful and factual. However, the stories jumped around throughout the book, and the many nicknames made for confusing reading at times. It would have been nice if the "Cast of Characters" was in the beginning of the book instead of page 279. 

While there are questions available online, I mostly relied on my own for this discussion. I am happy to share these questions with you; however, if you use them for your discussion, please credit this site: 

Discussion Questions by Mini Book Bytes: 

What was life like for the average woman during the Revolutionary War?

What kind of education could a girl expect to receive during Colonial times?

What was a woman’s role in regards to men? P. 29

 

How did being married affect women legally & financially as compared to being single or widowed?

 

Discuss the frequent pregnancies. Discuss the frequent death of babies/children. 

 

Why were the contributions of women during the American Revolution largely overlooked?

 

What made the relationship between Abigail & John Adams different?

 

How did women balance having/raising children and being involved in politics?

 

Discuss “having it all.” P. 49

What was life like for the Founding Mothers as compared to other women at the time? 

How did they influence their husbands and other powerful men?

 

While John Adams was helping create a new country, Abigail reminded him to "remember the ladies." What did she mean by this?  P. 60

 

Though John Adams respected his wife's opinions, why didn't he accept the notion that women should participate in political conversations? P. 70

 

Discuss the quote: Behind every great man, there’s a great woman. P. 76

 

What kind of sacrifices did these women make? 

Only two of the women mentioned in the book were women of color. Why?  

Discuss the institution of slavery at the time. Did any of the Founding Mothers disagree with this or question it?

The American Patriots fought to earn freedom from the British, but who else sought freedom?

Discuss Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved African American poet, who wrote poems supporting the Revolution.

Discuss the importance of letter writing at the time.

When the Founding Fathers were away, how did their wives fare running the businesses & farms. And when their husbands were off fighting battles & forming laws for the new nation, what crucial roles did women play?

Besides fighting the British, the young country was almost at civil war. Discuss the Loyalists and rebels.

Who was Catharine Macaulay? Why would an Englishwoman be so interested in the American cause?

Women often accompanied their husbands to army camps, including Martha Washington, Kitty Green, & Lucy Knox. Did this surprise you? What roles did they play at the camp?

How did the wives' wealth and connections help some of their husbands? Ex. Alexander Hamilton.

How did Martha Washington set the tone for First Ladies to follow? P. 230 How did she feel about being First Lady? P. 235

Nevertheless, Martha Washington was determined to be happy. What philosophy served her? P. 238

How was education for women affected by the Revolution? What changes came about?

Who or what inspired George Washington to run for a second term? P. 262

What qualities did the Founding Mothers have in common? 

 

By reading about the Founding Mothers, did you learn anything new about the Founding Fathers?

 

Who was your favorite Founding Mother? Why?

 

Who was your favorite Founding Father? Why?

 

Discuss the writing style. Roberts often intersperses her thoughts & commentary throughout the book. Did this add to the book?

Did you find the use of nicknames confusing? 

Ratings 1 - 5. Why did you like this book or not? Would you recommend it to someone? 

This list of questions was created by Nana Herron for MiniBookBytes Book Reviews and is available for personal use only. As a courtesy, please credit this site. Thank you!  

Details: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts. Paperback published by Perennial in 2005. 384 p. ISBN: 978-0060090265