Women's History Commons^™

Who Owns This Body? Enslaved Women's Claim On Themselves, Loucynda Elayne Sandeen

Dissertations and Theses

During the antebellum period of U.S. slavery (1830-1861), many people claimed ownership of the enslaved woman's body, both legally and figuratively. The assumption that they were merely property, however, belies the unstable, shifting truths about bodily ownership. This thesis inquires into the gendered specifics and ambiguities of the law, the body, and women under slavery. By examining the particular bodily regulation and exploitation of enslaved women, especially around their reproductive labor, I suggest that new operations of oppression and also of resistance come into focus.

The legal structure recognized enslaved women in the interest of owners, and this limitation was …

Rural Revolution: Documenting The Lesbian Land Communities Of Southern Oregon, Heather Jo Burmeister

Dissertations and Theses

Out of the politically charged atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s emerged a migration to "the land" and communes, which popularly became known as the back-to-the-land movement. This migration occurred throughout the United States, as well as many other countries, and included clusters of land based communities in southern Oregon. Within these clusters, lesbian feminist women created lesbian separatist lands and communes. These women were well educated, and politically active in movements such as the New Left, Civil Rights, Women's Liberation, and Gay Liberation. These lands or communes functioned together as a community network that developed and commodified lesbian art, …

“The Woman I Love”: The Underlying Motives For King Edward Viii’S Abdication, Sarah Gimble

Young Historians Conference

The human tendency to over-romanticize stories heard about politicians reflects our simple desire to cling to a ray of hope in a world where news is not always satisfying. This was the case with the supposed love story surrounding King Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson, and the King's subsequent abdication. A closer inspection reveals that the King's "love" for a married woman and his willingness to abdicate were no more than an escape from the life he never wanted. This paper will explore King Edward VIII's political and personal motives for quitting the job he was destined to perform.

Women Of The Scientific Revolution: The Forgotten Scholars, Sema Hasan

Young Historians Conference

Many people today are familiar with the achievements of famous scientists such as Galileo or Newton, but little is known about the scientific contributions that were made by women. Throughout history the world of academia was dominated by men, but it was during the Scientific Revolution that opportunity arose for women to participate in the sciences. In a time when women faced prejudice and skepticism, some managed to break away from the set expectations and enter into a career of their own. This paper offers a look into the lives of women scientists who have been dis-remembered by history.