Constructing Women and Nation: Feminized America in British and American Visual Culture 1760-1800

Early American women's history and the history of visual culture tend to avoid overlapping in terms of both sources and questions. A gendered lens when applied to the origins of America typically seeks to answer the question of how the Revolution affected women, whereas the history of American visual culture demonstrates changes over time, or the meanings behind symbolism without a fully comprehensive look at gender. This thesis seeks to connect the two fields while raising further questions about white women's political involvement during the American Revolution through an examination of America as represented by a woman in British-American visual sources from approximately 1760 to 1800. Through both a chronological and thematic approach, this thesis highlights how the changing status of women throughout the Revolution and their experiences are reflected in paintings, cartoons, and state seals, complicating arguments that these female embodiments of America are merely a product of national identity formation. The shift from an Indigenous woman to a Roman goddess can be charted parallel to the rise of Republican Motherhood ideology and anxieties about female autonomy. This thesis will also explore the complex powerful nature of femininity in relation to societal norms and additional iconography, including transgressions of sex and sexuality, liberty, and the mother/daughter dynamic.

Grantor dc:publisher

Florida State University

Year dc:date

2024

Contributors dc:contributor

• Livingston, Sydney Marie (author)
• Mooney, Katherine Carmines (professor directing thesis)
• Sinke, Suzanne M. (committee member)
• Upchurch, Charles, 1969- (committee member)
• Florida State University (degree granting institution)
• College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college)
• Department of History (degree granting department)

• History
• Women's studies
• Gender expression
• Gender identity

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

fsu:927974
iid: Livingston_fsu_0071N_18743

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:diginole.lib.fsu.edu:fsu_927974