History Commons^™

Race, Sex Work, And Spatial Segregation In Storyville, New Orleans, Paige M. Magoto

All Theses

Storyville, New Orleans, operated as a legalized vice district from 1897 to 1917. This 38-block area facilitated sex work and prostitution “across the color line,” perpetuating and encouraging the practice of white men seeking sexual acts from Black women and women of mixed-race descent. I engage with multiple interacting subsections of historiography within this thesis project. The historiography spans Southern history from the early nineteenth century in the Old Antebellum South until the early twentieth century in the Progressive Era. The broader historiographic dimensions of labor and sexuality were also influential in curating this research project, engaging with the evolving …

The Rise And Fall Of The Contagious Diseases Acts: An Examination Of The Legislative Influences, Medical Discourse And Repeal Arguments, Elizabeth Henderson

All Theses

The Contagious Diseases Acts (CDA) were the most important legislative intervention concerning sexuality in the nineteenth century. The CDA was a public health measure passed to address the spread of venereal disease amongst the British Army and Navy, and targeted Britain's most vulnerable women – sex workers – because they were blamed for being the presumed cause and primary mode of spreading venereal disease. This resulted in the legalization of what critics of the CDA would call surgical assault, or instrumental rape, of working-class women suspected of being sex workers. Historians who study sexuality and sex work in Britain have …

Recollections Of A Tejana Life, Carolina Yáñez

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis encompasses the life of a young woman navigating life in Texas through various political and social barriers. My interdisciplinary practice analyzes the historical context of Mexicans in Texas from its Revolutionary period into current injustices. Through fiber, printmaking, and photography I create a visual diary to illustrate what the political has made personal. These works display the beauty of Tejano culture, but also the power struggles that threaten communities I care for, as well as my own existence that persists against far-right wing agendas.

Current politics and government leadership in Texas have inspired me to make artwork calling …

The First Of Its Kind--The Impact Of Wher-Am And Wdia In Postwar Memphis Radio., Emily Stucky

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In 1947, WDIA Memphis became the first radio station in the U.S. to switch to programming featuring only Black performers and announcers. Eight years later in 1955, WHER-AM became the first all-female radio station in the country, also originating in Memphis, Tennessee. This thesis will discuss the ways WHER and WDIA have both contributed to and reflected social change movements between 1947 and 1970, from civil rights to feminism. Substantive sources include media perceptions of both stations through local newspapers, interviews with early participants, and various secondary scholarship on the impact of both stations. Ultimately, I argue that Memphis’s racialized …

Women In War In The Ancient Middle East, Margaret E. Kimbro, Margaret Kimbro

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women are often overlooked as contributors in conflict and warfare throughout time, both modern and ancient. Women in positions of authority through politics, religion, or both contributed to the management of conflict and warfare through propaganda, political ritual, and direct involvement in the army. This thesis focuses on five different women from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria beginning in the 2200s BCE to the height of the Roman Empire. It focuses on the utilization of primary sources such as translated writings, statues, art and iconography, and documentation of the works of these women. Women’s contributions continue to be overlooked or erased …

Cultural Of Authenticity And Commodification: Analyzing The Aesthetic Waves And Collective Culture In The 2010s And 2020s, Stefanny Leung Yu

Student Theses

The “authentic self” is curated, aestheticized, and most notably, commodified. Digital algorithms, likes, views, and engagement are more than just digital metrics, they are the management of performance. For millions of other users — including the author herself — social media is the locus of personal expression. Most notably, sites like Tumblr, where users in the 2010s posted hazy images or overly filtered graphics along with melancholic song lyrics that match the vibe of the moment, expression was earnest and idealized. Today, social media in the 2020s, new creators like Hannah Neelaman, better known as Ballerina Farm, dress in pastoral …

“As If The Devil Was In Her”: Fanny Fern’S Remaking Of Authorship In The Nineteenth Century, Rowan S. Q. Havranek

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Fanny Fern revolutionized nineteenth-century literature with her unapologetically blunt and insightful commentary on social norms, education, women’s rights, and more. As a columnist for The New York Ledger, Fern challenged the conventional boundaries placed on women, blending her personal observations and experiences with sharp social critique. Because of her unflinching style and writings that addressed a wide range of topics, she became one of the most well-paid and widely read authors of her time. Yet, she was also subjected to harsh judgment. The media, particularly in the hands of her second husband, was used to damage her reputation, yet Fern …

“With Neither Hope Nor Fear”: Continuity In The Life Of Isabella D’Este, Alyssa Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Isabella d’Este is traditionally viewed as the most notable female art patron of Renaissance Italy, primarily studied for her excellent taste. This positive interpretation has left her out of the reputational rehabilitation that modern historians have applied to many of her contemporaries, and what recent work has been done focuses on her marriage. However, Isabella outlived her husband by nearly twenty years, and contrary to writers who view that widowhood as an afterthought, she remained a dominant political and cultural figure in her own right. This thesis reassesses Isabella’s letters to argue that the traditional segmentation of her life does …

Forced Sterilizations And Reproductive Control: A Legacy Of Eugenics And White Supremacy In The United States, Bshara Alsheikh

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Women of color have suffered racial reproductive abuse by the hands of government-funded white supremacist institutions. From federal government agencies to the highest court of the land, they have all played a crucial role in the reproductive oppression of women of color and have failed to protect their bodily autonomy. This thesis examines legal cases like Buck v. Bell, Madrigal v. Quilligan, and Relf v. Weinberger to showcase how the bodies and reproductive capacities of women of color have been targeted and controlled under the guise of public health, to advance supposed economic stability, and through a racially charged eugenics …

Moving The Goalposts: American Sports Coverage In Newspapers And The Construction Of Gender, Race And Sexuality In The Olympics In 1928, 1932, 1936., Jacob Havers

All Theses

This thesis takes an in-depth look at the media coverage of women in the Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936. Specifically following the track athletes Kinue Hitomi, Louise Stokes, Tidye Pickett and Mildred “Babe” Didrikson the thesis explores how by being athletic women they had their identities as feminine figures heavily questioned and scrutinized in newspapers at the global level. The harshest of these critics was often the American media, who held strict standards of race, gender and sexuality in the late 1920s-mid 1930s. They sought to uphold these standards at the global scale, and the American media’s interrogation of …

Framing Queenship: Gender, Power, And Political Representation In Holbein’S Portraits Of Jane Seymour And Anne Of Cleves, Kateryna Chernenko

Theses

This paper explores the intricate relationship between queenship, gender, and political representation as depicted in Hans Holbein’s portraits of Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, two wives of Henry VIII. By analyzing these works within the framework of Tudor England's gender dynamics, we can better understand how Holbein’s portraits transcend mere artistic expression to serve as critical commentaries on the roles of women in a predominantly patriarchal society. Recent scholarly trends emphasize the significance of gender in the interpretation of historical art, revealing how these portraits reflect, challenge, and reinforce the societal constructs of their time. This study focuses on …

History Of Stanton School

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Brief history of Stanton School, Jacksonville, Florida. Undated.

Stanton School, History

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Brief history of Stanton School, Jacksonville, Florida. Undated.

Partial Letter From Patsy L. Weston To Eartha White

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Correspondence: Partial letter from Patsy L. Weston, cousin to Eartha White. Undated.

List Of Edward Waters College Committees

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: List of various committees at Edward Waters College. Undated.

Edward Waters College - Statement Of Purpose

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Handwritten statement of purpose of Edward Waters College, written ca. 1924-1925.

News Clipping, 50 Years Of Freedom

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Newsclipping: "50 Years of Freedom." Undated.

Centennial Building, Edward Waters College, Postcard

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Postcard: Centennial building of Edward Waters College. Undated.

Letter To H. H. Simmons, Draft, Eartha M.M. White

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Correspondence: Draft of letter to H. H. Simmons, Agt. regarding unpaid taxes and holding rent payments. Miscellaneous tax statements and bills. Undated.

News Clipping, Judge Lee Chairman

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

News clipping: Announcement of Judge Joseph E. Lee's appointment as Chairman of the Campaign Committee for Colored Republicans of Florida. Undated.

Uniform Code Of By-Laws, State Of Florida, Order Of The Eastern Star

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Booklet: South Side Chapter No. 28, Order of the Eastern Star by-laws documentation. Undated.

History Of Stanton School

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Brief history of Stanton School, Jacksonville, Florida. Undated.

The Evolution Of Women's Rights In Iran, Rebecca G. Buis

Senior Honors Theses

Over the past 46 years, Iran has undergone change; substantial change that will impact the lives of women for generations to come. The ones who have been at the forefront of this challenge are women. Islamic extremism and religion have created a substantial shift in the lives of women over the past half century. As time has gone on, more women have protested, leading to an increased resistance. Prior to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iranian women experienced increased liberties and freedoms. However, with the rise of Khomeini, their freedoms were increasingly replaced with expectations as to how they should …

Old Folks Home Financial And Service Report, August To September

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Monthly financial and inmate service report for the Old Folks Home, August to September. Undated.

Old Folks Home Financial And Service Report, September To October

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Monthly financial and inmate service report for the Old Folks Home, September to October. Undated.

Old Folks Home Financial Report For May

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Monthly financial report for the Old Folks Home for May. Undated.

Case History, Effie Frazier

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Social work case notes for Effie Frazier. Undated.

Case History, Ben Moseley

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Social work case notes for Ben Moseley. Undated.

Case History, William Presley

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Social work case notes for William Presley. Undated.

Various Case Histories

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

Document: Various social work case notes. Undated.