Women, Culture, and Community : Religion and Reform in Galveston, 1880-1920: Religion and Reform in Galveston, 1880-1920Oxford University Press, USA, 1997 M11 17 - 384 pages In this work, Elizabeth Turner addresses a central question in post-Reconstruction social history: why did middle-class women expand their activities from the private to the public sphere and begin, in the years just before World War I, an unprecedented activism? Using Galveston as a case study, Turner examines how a generally conservative, traditional environment could produce important women's organizations for Progressive reform. She concludes that the women of Galveston, though slow to respond to national movements, were stirred to action on behalf of their local community. Local organizations, particularly Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, and traditional everyday social activities provided a nurturing environment for budding reformers, and a foundation for activist organizations and programs such as poor relief and progressive reform. Ultimately, women became politicized even as they continued their roles as guardians of traditional domestic values. Women, Culture, and Community will appeal to scholars and students of the post-Reconstruction South, women's history, activist history, and religious history. |
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active African American Aid Society Anne Firor Scott became benevolent institutions benevolent societies black women Catholic cemetery Census charity Christian church societies citizens city commission city commission government City Directory city's civic commissioners committee congregations culture Cuney Daughters December elite Episcopal Church Equal Suffrage Association evangelical February funds Galveston County Galveston Daily Galveston Orphans Galveston Tribune Galveston women Galvestonians girls groups History Houston Ida Austin Jewish kindergarten Kopperl labor lady managers Lutheran male March Mary Methodist middle-class milk Minutes mission mothers Negro November officers percent political Presbyterian Presbyterian Ladies president progressive Progressive Era Protestant reform religious Republic of Texas role Rosenberg Library Sealy second quotation September social South storm suffrage suffragists Sunday school synagogue teachers Texas Trinity University Press urban veston vestry vote WCTU Wednesday Club white women WHPA woman suffrage women's benevolent women's clubs Women's Health Protective York YWCA