Date of Award

2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

History

First Advisor

Vivian Deno

Abstract

"Are You With Us?" challenges longstanding assumptions about Hoosier women's political activism by examining participation within the state suffrage movement. Indiana women's history- and especially this topic- is largely overlooked by historians. Existing scholarship on this subject is limited and out-dated; moreover, such research concludes that Hoosier women were "ladylike reformers." That is, they were respectable, conservative, and did not desire too much public attention. Because of this, one might think that Hoosier women avoided the campaign for suffrage; yet, my archival research has shown that many women in Indiana were active and dedicated participants. In addition, there were numerous suffragists who were not "ladylike reformers." Instead, they were radical, African-American, and from the working class or rural areas. My project highlights the diversity of the Hoosier suffrage movement while simultaneously expanding the narrow field of Indiana women's history.

Download

Share

COinS