Introduction -- A "disobedient, clamorous" wife : the problem of wifely submission -- "A trifling sum" : economic support and consumer spending in New England marriages -- "The duties of a wife" : the meaning of women's work -- "The wicked agency of others" : community involvement and marital discord -- "Having confidence in her own abilities" : coping with estrangement -- "Free and clear from all claims" : divorce and the contradictory nature of women's status -- Afterword: Settling "all matters of dispute" : marital conflict, negotiation, and compromise.
