Who was Bridget? How did the Irish girl's experience compare with that of German, Scandinavian and African-American maids and nannies in 19th and early 20th century America? How does it compare with the experience of Japanese, Latina, Chicana, West Indian and Filipino maids and nannies in modern America? Was Bridget's experience unique? Come to this presentation and find out!
Margaret Lynch-Brennan began her career as a classroom teacher. For many years she served as an administrator with the New York State Education Department working on issues related to civil rights, high school reform, and professional development for teachers. Subsequent to earning a Ph.D. in American History from the University at Albany, State University of New York, she published essays in three books and presented at conferences in Australia, Germany, Ireland and the United States. Her book, The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930, was first published by Syracuse University Press in 2009, subsequently reprinted in hardcover, and issued as a paperback in 2014. After retiring from the New York State Education Department she taught at Hudson Valley Community College and served a two-year term as a Public Scholar for Humanities New York (The New York Council for the Humanities). She now works as an independent scholar and is a member of the National Coalition of Independent Scholars.