Women at Work in Preindustrial France

Women at Work in Preindustrial France Volume 1 examines the critical role of skilled female laborers in eighteenth-century France. This history text challenges the misconception that women only entered the workforce during the Industrial Revolution. Through extensive archival research in Paris, Lyon, and Rouen, Daryl M Hafter explores the intersection of employment and gender politics. The book analyzes how women navigated the complexities of the preindustrial economy as workers, managers, and merchants.

This scholarly work focuses on categories such as women in guilds and discrimination in employment. It details how some women achieved economic independence and legal parity with men by mastering technical skills and managing wholesale businesses. By investigating sex discrimination against women and the struggles of working class women, the author provides a comprehensive look at the social and economic barriers of the era.