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A WITNESS TO DEATH: THE JOURNAL OF EMILY NASH, NINETEENTH- CENTURY GEAUGA COUNTY PROFESSIONAL MOURNER A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Molly M. Sergi August 2015 Dissertation Written By Molly M. Sergi B.A. Youngstown State University M.A. Youngstown State University Ph.D. Kent State University Approved by __________________________________________, Chair Doctoral Dissertation Committee Kim Gruenwald ____________________________________________, Members, Doctoral Committee Leonne Hudson ____________________________________________ Donna DeBlasio ____________________________________________ Thomas Norton-Smith ____________________________________________ Sara Newman Accepted By ____________________________________________ Chair, Department of History, Kenneth Bindas ____________________________________________ Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, James Blank ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Kim Gruenwald, my dissertation advisor for guiding me through the process and seeing the completion of the degree. I sincerely appreciate the time, effort, and support from Dr. Leonne Hudson, Dr. Donna DeBlasio, Dr. Thomas Norton-Smith, and Dr. Sara Newman, who all served on my dissertation committee. This project remains very dear to me because of the association of the Nash family to Geauga County and my home campus. The first time I drove around the “circle” in Burton toward the Geauga Campus, I was struck by the quaint, New England atmosphere. Emily Nash opened my eyes to the people and culture of nineteenth-century Ohio. It is not difficult to imagine Emily Nash living in that area today. I am especially grateful to my husband Vincent Sergi and daughter, Isabella Rose Sergi. I dedicate this dissertation to both of them since they listened to my stories about nineteenth-century Ohioans and helped make Nash a household name. I also dedicate this work to my parents, Dennis and Christine McNamara, who enjoyed hearing the stories and visiting sites in Burton. I am also grateful to my friends at the Kent State Geauga Campus for their help and support. Judy Paternite, Mahli Mechenbeir, Mary Hricko, Sanhita Gupta, and Dirk Remley, all offered encouragement, read chapters, edited, and let me complain. Thank you to Mr. Art Kohn, who always had faith in my work and provided resources for a history scholarship on campus. Thank you to Century Village Museum, the Geauga County Historical Society, and Chardon Genealogical Room. This project originated with encouragement from Teeter (Jeanette) Grovesnor who I met at Century Village while doing research. Teeter iii introduced me to Emily and the other residents of nineteenth-century Geauga County. Finally, I hope this dissertation does justice to the personality and character of Emily Nash. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ iii TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Historiography ..................................................................................................................3 Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 1: Death Moves to Ohio................................................................................. 16 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 16 Early Ohio History: Conflict and Settlement .................................................................. 19 The Nash Family ............................................................................................................. 25 Women on the Frontier: Gender roles and expectations ................................................. 27 Evolution of a Layer of the Dead..................................................................................... 33 Emily’s Death Notices: Men, Women and Children ........................................................ 41 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER 2: The Feminization of Death ........................................................................ 64 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 64 Origins of the Second Great Awakening ......................................................................... 67 The Role of Women in the Second Great Awakening ...................................................... 86 The Second Great Awakening and Mourning Behavior ................................................ 103 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 108 CHAPTER 3: A Witness to Death .................................................................................. 111 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 111 Age of the Beautiful Death ............................................................................................ 114 Visible Expressions of Grief .......................................................................................... 135 Romanticism and Spiritualism ...................................................................................... 140 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 151 CHAPTER 4: Not a “Good Death”................................................................................. 152 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 152 Ohio’s Role in the Civil War ......................................................................................... 156 Politics .......................................................................................................................... 166 Nash’s Views on the Civil War ...................................................................................... 174 Battles ........................................................................................................................... 189 Home front Reactions ................................................................................................... 196 Technological Changes.................................................................................................. 198 End of the Good Death .................................................................................................. 214 v Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 229 CHAPTER 5: Death Not In The Family ......................................................................... 230 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 230 Scientific Changes ......................................................................................................... 234 Professionalization ........................................................................................................ 245 Changes in Emily’s Life ................................................................................................ 256 Anonymity of Death: Changes in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Mourning Behavior ...................................................................................................................................... 271 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 280 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 282 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 288 Primary Sources ........................................................................................................... 288 Manuscripts .................................................................................................................. 288 Newspapers ................................................................................................................... 289 Internet Web Site .......................................................................................................... 289 Secondary Sources ........................................................................................................ 290 Books ............................................................................................................................ 290 Articles and Book Chapters .......................................................................................... 296 vi INTRODUCTION In 1812, a young Emily Nash traveled by wagon train with her family from Plainfield, Massachusetts, to Burton, Geauga County, Ohio. Nash kept a personal journal of memories and events beginning in 1812 and ending shortly before her death in 1888. Emily’s