"Women in Missouri History is a collection of essays surveying the history of women in the state of Missouri from the period of colonial settlement through the mid-twentieth century. The women featured in these essays come from various ethnic, economic, and racial groups, from both urban and rural areas, and from all over the state. The authors tell these women's stories through biographies and through techniques of social history, allowing the reader to learn not only about the women's lives individually, but also about how groups of "ordinary" women shaped the history of the state."--BOOK JACKET.