Seeking Women’s Rights: Colonial Period to the Civil War is a free online history and human rights course offered through a partnership between Columbia University and the New-York Historical Society in the United States. This class is ideal for anyone who is interested in learning more about the history of women’s rights in the U.S. and has no educational or work experience prerequisites.
As a self-paced class, Seeking Women’s Rights: Colonial Period to the Civil War has flexible deadlines for students. Those who enroll in the class are free to watch the lecture videos and complete the supplemental assignments at a speed that fits their schedules. The instructors have provided a suggestion syllabus that breaks the course down into 10 weekly units that each require roughly two to three hours to complete.
Seeking Women’s Rights: Colonial Period to the Civil War is part of a four-part series of classes offered by Columbia called The Women Have Always Worked; however, students can take the course on its own to focus on the history of women’s rights from the settling of the U.S. Colonies through the Civil War. This class delves deeply into what life was like for women who were slaves, indentured servants and rural housewives during this period. Through the lectures, students will have an opportunity to see how the demand for equal rights slowly emerged during these early periods in American history. At the end of the course, a certificate of completion is available for a $50 fee.
