Remembering Elderly Women in Early America: A survey of how aged women were memorialized in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century tombstone inscriptions, death notices, funeral sermons, and memoirs

By analyzing the language used in tombstone inscriptions, death notices, funeral sermons, and memoirs, this thesis reviews how cultural expectations placed on women during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries impacted the reputation of aged women. Specifically, it demonstrates how the ideology of domesticity contributed to the reputation of aged women as women and how advanced age influenced their exemplary place in society. Ultimately, this thesis argues the concept of gender identity that was influential throughout the life course was magnified in importance during old age.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Department dc:contributor.department

History

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Taylor, Sarah Elizabeth

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Jones, Kathleen W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Calasanti, Toni M.
• Tracy, Patricia L.

• Aging
• Gender
• History
• Early America
• Gerontology
• Women

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

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

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05132002-210659

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32689