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An Archaeology of Women's Reform Efforts and the Home, 1854-1939

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An Archaeology of Women's Reform Efforts and the Home, 1854-1939 Domestic Artifacts, Political Practices: An Archaeology of Women’s Reform Efforts and the Home, 1854-1939 By Kimberly Elizabeth Christensen A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology and the Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender and Sexuality in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Laurie A. Wilkie, Chair Professor Rosemary A. Joyce Professor Margaret W. Conkey Professor Barrie Thorne Spring 2012 Domestic Artifacts, Political Practices: An Archaeology of Women’s Reform Efforts and the Home, 1854-1939 © 2012 By Kimberly Elizabeth Christensen Abstract An Archaeology of Women’s Reform Efforts and the Home, 1854-1939 by Kimberly Elizabeth Christensen Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender and Sexuality University of California, Berkeley Professor Laurie A. Wilkie, Chair This dissertation examines issues of gender, practice, and sociopolitical reform efforts through the lens of household archaeology. Archaeological and historical research undertaken at the homes of Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898) and May Shepard Cheney (1862-1942) provide a means of examining how gender ideologies were lived and negotiated in practice in contexts of homes that were integrally involved in sociopolitical reform efforts. Gage, who fought for suffrage and woman’s rights during the late 19th century, and Cheney, who used her administrative position at the University of California, Berkeley during the early 20th century to advocate for women’s social, political, and economic opportunities, both brought elements of their reform work into their homes. By examining artifacts such as tea wares, children’s toys, a Japanese garden, and canning jars, I show how the Gage and Cheney households deftly navigated the gendered norms of their time while simultaneously working to reform those norms. Through this, I also highlight the significance of their husbands, Henry Hill Gage and Warren Cheney, and children in these negotiations within the home. The use of material culture in reform pursuits at these sites highlights the multivalent nature of meanings attributable to objects, and emphasizes that ownership of particular household materials does not mean that a particular household necessarily adhered to hegemonic gender ideologies. Instead, household material culture was used by these two households in ways that suited their reform ideals. This dissertation is also an example of feminist-inspired collaborative archaeology. Work at both sites was conducted in ways that sought to demystify the process of research and foster less- hierarchical relationships with stakeholders. 1 Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Why Matilda Joslyn Gage and May Shepard Cheney ................................................................ 1 Households as Significant Social Arenas ................................................................................... 2 Theories of Practice .................................................................................................................... 3 Feminist Archaeology and the Archaeology of Gender ............................................................. 3 Structure of the dissertation ........................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 2: The Gage and Cheney Sites and Households ................................................................ 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7 The Gage Home & Property in Fayetteville, New York ............................................................ 7 Structures on the Property ....................................................................................................... 9 Peopling the household: The Gages ...................................................................................... 11 The Cheney Home and Property in Berkeley, California ......................................................... 18 Structures on the Property ..................................................................................................... 19 Peopling the Household: The Cheneys ................................................................................. 21 Household Composition over the Years ............................................................................... 29 i Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 3: Methodology and Findings ......................................................................................... 32 Collaborative Archaeology ....................................................................................................... 32 Many Practitioners, Many Definitions .................................................................................. 32 Reconsidering “the public” ................................................................................................... 35 Methods Utilized in Public Archaeology .............................................................................. 37 Motivations: Why Do Public Archaeology? ......................................................................... 40 Community, Collaborative, and Applied Archaeologies ...................................................... 42 Collaborative Methods at the Gage and Cheney Houses .......................................................... 46 Archival Sources ....................................................................................................................... 49 Archaeological field methodology ............................................................................................ 51 The Gage House .................................................................................................................... 51 Findings................................................................................................................................. 54 The Cheney House ................................................................................................................ 58 Findings................................................................................................................................. 59 Laboratory Analyses ................................................................................................................. 61 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 63 Chapter 4: The Gage Household: Material culture meanings and uses in the Victorian era ........ 64 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 64 Gender Ideologies of the Victorian Period ............................................................................... 65 ii The Cult of Domesticity and True Womanhood................................................................... 65 Equal Rights Feminism ......................................................................................................... 66 Domestic Reform .................................................................................................................. 66 The Cult of “The Cult of Domesticity”..................................................................................... 67 Domestic Architecture .......................................................................................................... 68 Domestic spaces .................................................................................................................... 68 Domestic Material Culture .................................................................................................... 69 Archaeological studies of Victorian households and material culture ...................................... 71 Material Culture and Practice in the Gage Household .............................................................. 74 Architecture and the Use of Space ........................................................................................ 74 Archaeological Materials ...................................................................................................... 76 “Making Do” and Intelligibility ................................................................................................ 79 Parenting and Grandparenting .............................................................................................. 80 Patriotism and a Bid for Citizenship ..................................................................................... 82 Conclusions ..............................................................................................................................
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