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African History Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

William & Mary

Theses/Dissertations

1998

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in African History

On The Front Lines Of Freedom: Black And White Women Shape Emancipation In Virginia, 1861-1890, Antoinette G. Van Zelm Jan 1998

On The Front Lines Of Freedom: Black And White Women Shape Emancipation In Virginia, 1861-1890, Antoinette G. Van Zelm

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Black and white women in Virginia were on the front lines of the struggle over emancipation during and after the Civil War. Between 1861 and 1890, both former slave and former slaveholding women shaped black freedom and thereby re-invented themselves as citizens within their local communities.;Focusing on women who lived in the southeastern and south-central regions of Virginia, this study expands the narrative of Southern history to encompass the vigorous contest between black and white women over the meanings of slavery, the war, and freedom. Based on federal records and private papers, this dissertation assesses women's ideas about the end …