This week in our discussion board, you get to select your own document!  One of the topics we are exploring chapter 9 is education. Literacy is a topic that has often been mentioned this semester, and historians are particularly invested in written sources to inform our understanding of events in the past.  All of our primary source so far have been written by men, but this week we turn our attention to literate women in the Middle Ages.  Literacy was not as common among women, but there are many exceptions to this rule.  Women who were nuns, or aristocrats often did have an education.  Or they may have had partial literacy, as many women would dictate letters to scribes who would write the letter for them.  Letters are complicated source, and they may have been read by third parties (sending letters was not secure) so the content of the letters may reflect this reality.

Select any ONE letter that interests you from this website and please do the following.  Sumarize the content of the letter for us, and explore how this letter elaborates in more detail about a topic in the Middle Ages that we have been exploring in the textbook.  How does this letter expand our knowledge about the Medieval experience particularly for women? 

For example, you may find a letter written by a nun, perhaps she is asking for help.  Who is she asking?  What does she need?  What does this tell us about life in the convent?

I look forward to seeing what letter you choose to explore.  Please be sure to cite the letter you are using in your post.