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.