Abstract
This study examines the impact of the American Civil War on Union women by focusing on Mary Ashton Rice Livermore and her associates in wartime aid societies in Chicago, Illinois. It argues that Livermore's postwar lecture career epitomizes the new confidence that many benevolent women possessed after the Civil War. From contemporary newspaper accounts and letters it demonstrates that the conflagration broadened the scope of their activity, allowing many to hone their skills and expand their influence while remaining safely inside society's accepted gender standards. concluding that the war changed moderate white middle-class women's lives, it then illustrates that some modifications proved permanent for many throughout the ensuing decade. This work draws from published sources, including Livermore's autobiography and her account of the war, and manuscript collections containing correspondence, dated between 1850 and 1905, among advocates of women's rights and their acquaintances.
Graduation Date
1996
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Crepeau, Richard C.
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
History
Format
Language
English
Rights
Written permission granted by copyright holder to the University of Central Florida Libraries to digitize and distribute for nonprofit, educational purposes.
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
Identifier
DP0010869
STARS Citation
Engle, Nancy Arlene Driscol, "We can't be the women we were before: Mary Livermore and Chicago women in the American Civil War" (1996). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 2913.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/rtd/2913
Accessibility Status
Searchable text