Women's History Commons^™

“Madam” Elizabeth: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley’S Sisyphean Attempt To Join The “Cult Of True Womanhood”, Bella Biancone

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Nineteenth century notions of femininity and etiquette were governed by strict societal standards. “True Womanhood” was defined by four fundamental virtues– piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. However, there was another pre-requisite for joining this revered cult¬: whiteness. No matter how pious or domestic a woman of color was, she could never hope to be considered a proper lady by Victorian standards. In discerning what it meant to be a member of that “cult of True Womanhood,” Black women were used to determine the boundaries of white womanhood; a “True Woman” was to be the antithesis of the stereotypical sexual and …

Gendered Norms In Community-Based Engagement: Oral Histories Of The Women In The Elsinore Bennu Think Tank For Restorative Justice, Kathleen Burch

Graduate Student Research Symposium

The state of the criminal justice system in the United States is one in need of repair. A local Pittsburgh group – the Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice – challenges its members and the community to engage in restorative justice. The group comprises professors, returning citizens, police officers, and lawyers to initiate change through restorative justice in communities impacted by crime.

The Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice (EBTT) Oral History Project at Duquesne University uses the methodology of oral history to gather stories of change, inspiration, and trauma from EBTT members. I will analyze the aural …

Interracial Relations: History And Cultural Identity In The Invention Of Wings, Taylor Hopkins

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The historical fiction novel The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd displays a notable relationship between feminist and racial ideals during the nineteenth century. The story is based on the historical figure, Sarah Grimké, an American abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights. Over the course of thirty-five years, the narration alternates between the two main characters: Sarah Grimké and Hetty Handful Grimké, a young slave on the Grimké plantation. The interactions between the two begin when Hetty is presented to Sarah as a personal waiting maid for Sarah’s eleventh birthday. As the story continues, the dynamics between the two …

Mary Todd Lincoln: Duty And Depression, Bella Biancone

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was perceived by Victorian America as materialistic and unbalanced. Behind the closed doors of the Executive Mansion, however, lie a grief-stricken mother struggling to manage an undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. Her fragile condition was exacerbated with each death of her beloved family. Yet, this First Lady played an integral role in the White House, acting as hostess, advisor to the President, and activist in her own right. She was not a passive bystander as her husband worked tirelessly to preserve the Union, but an active participant in the war effort. Following Abraham Lincoln’s premature …

Female Roles In Antiquity: The Dichotomy Between The Stage And The Page, Bella Biancone

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The women portrayed in Greek drama were often strong, courageous, and integral to the storyline. In contrast to their real-life counterparts (who may have not even been allowed to see the plays), these women stood out as individuals in their respective stories. They are bold, dynamic, intelligent and respected. They are meant to be seen and heard. Women in drama emerge as heroines of their own stories and serve to educate the audience on some aspect of women in Greece. On other hand, the women of Homeric epics tended to be subdued and traditional; they are background characters, merely present …

Women In The Late Nineteenth Century: Involvement In The 1893 Chicago World’S Fair, Maria Miller

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The Columbian Exposition of 1893, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, was a clear example of the women’s rights movement in nineteenth century America. It exemplified the inclusion of women in male-dominated fields by establishing a Board of Lady Managers. This group of women held executive authorities over the establishment of a Woman’s Building. The Woman’s Building was a space dedicated to displaying the achievements of women throughout the world. This Building also gave female visitors hope for a future of expanded rights. Despite this, the Woman’s Building isolated women’s work into a distinct section within the Exposition. The …