This work investigates the fundamental tension between the pursuit of individual equality for women and the structural requirements of the American family unit from the Revolutionary era to the late twentieth century. Carl N. Degler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, utilizes a vast array of primary sources, including diaries, letters, and census data, to construct his argument. He posits that the modern family structure evolved not as a static institution, but as a dynamic response to women's increasing desire for autonomy and professional participation. The text argues that this ongoing negotiation between domestic obligation and personal ambition remains the defining characteristic of the American gender experience.

Historians and sociologists frequently cite this text as a foundational study for understanding the intersection of gender and domestic history in the United States. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a comprehensive and rigorous examination of social evolution over two centuries.