A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

Microhistory is the study of history focused on small units of research, like communities, individuals, or events. The aim of microhistory, according to Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson, chair of the Center for Microhistorical Research at the Reykjavik Academy, is to “reveal the complicated function of individual relationships within each and every social setting” (Magnusson, Sigurdur Gylfi. “What Is Microhistory?” History News Network). Microhistory examines the themes of macrohistory (or the broader historical context) through the lens of a specific person, place, community, or event. For example, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich examines the life and work of a midwife in colonial America, the role of women in society and the economy in colonial and postcolonial America, and the social and medical practices of the late 17th through early 18th centuries in America and Britain through the microcosm of Martha Ballard, a midwife working and composing her diary from 1785-1812.

Martha’s diary is thus essential to Ulrich’s microhistorical approach. Microhistory relies on archival evidence; without written documents, the existence of Martha is confined solely to data points (i.e., birth, date of marriage, death), the very historical outlook microhistorians seek to avoid.