ABSTRACT
In the nineteenth-century United States, reli-gion and religious affiliation played an in-strumental role in every aspect of a woman’s life. Religion helped her to understand and cope with economic changes. It connected her with others at a time when group identity was paramount. It was the basis for the explosion of reform work that took place during the 1800s. It helped to define her role within the family and the community. It provided her with emotional and spiritual support, in a time marked by high infant and adult mortality.
