Crafting Clementina: Using Material Culture to Interpret the Contributions of 18th-century American Craftswomen in Scholarship and at Public History Sites

This thesis suggests how studying material culture can yield important insight into the lives of 18th-century craftswomen in scholarship and at public history sites, where they have historically been minimally interpreted. Objects and their physical features reveal important insights that go beyond existing written records, especially for populations that have been excluded from or misrepresented in historical records. This research utilizes The Virginia Gazette, a newspaper produced by Clementina Rind before the Revolutionary War, to show her involvement in early American discussions and events. It also addresses how material culture can be used to teach visitors about the 18th-century women who labored in other non-domestic trades, including blacksmiths, bookbinders, silversmiths, and carpenters. Applying these methods can help scholars and public history audiences think more critically about diverse perspectives within and contributions to early American history.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Material Culture and Public Humanities

Department dc:contributor.department

Material Culture and Public Humanities

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Applebaum, Micaela

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Christensen, Danille

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Ronan, Anne Elizabeth
• Winling, LaDale C.

• Craftswomen
• Material Culture Studies
• Clementina Rind
• Virginia Gazette
• Colonial Williamsburg

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:41474

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/121176