History in the Making
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The nineteenth century saw a shift in the perceptions of death, as historians have noted how Victorian peoples (1837-1901) had a strange fixation with morbidity that we today find odd. This article seeks to understand these fixations with death within the context of nineteenth-century femininity, or what has been termed the Cult of Domesticity. As the topic of women and death is sparse, the examinations of leading death historians are compared while some new historical perspectives are used to address some gaps between death and domesticity. The context of Victorian societal norms is examined, along with popular mourning practices and the reasons these practices gave comfort to those still living. Periods of social upheaval are also examined in this paper, like the effects of disease or mental illness and the American Civil War (1861- 1865), as these events exacerbated the already shifting fixations on death. It is through the examination of morbidity that historical empathy with atypical topics can be achieved, while a greater understanding of the United States can be achieved through examinations of American women in the nineteenth century.
Recommended Citation
Boswell, Kathleen
(2024)
"Woman and Death in Nineteenth Century America,"
History in the Making: Vol. 17, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol17/iss1/7