Oral Presentations
19th-Century Conceptions of 18th-Century Female Intellectuals
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Claire Arcenas
Faculty Mentor’s Department
History
Abstract / Artist's Statement
My research explores 19th-century writings (1800-1899) about prominent 18th-century female intellectuals in the United States. More specifically, I investigate the ways in which people in the 19th century read and understood the ideas and works of female public intellectuals in the 18th century (particularly those who dabbled in political philosophy or were political philosophers in their own right). Both primary sources and secondary sources guide my research. For example, I use books, newspaper articles, essays, and other public and private writings in the 19th century about thinkers such as Mary Astell, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Mercy Otis Warren. I analyze these sources with specific attention to the ways that people write about these 18th-century female intellectuals, such as focusing on diction and tone as well as the assumptions that emerge from these sources. Ultimately, my research reveals how people in the 19th century viewed prominent female intellectuals in the 18th century and sheds light on underlying themes among the conceptions of these 18th-century women.
Category
Humanities
19th-Century Conceptions of 18th-Century Female Intellectuals
UC 331
My research explores 19th-century writings (1800-1899) about prominent 18th-century female intellectuals in the United States. More specifically, I investigate the ways in which people in the 19th century read and understood the ideas and works of female public intellectuals in the 18th century (particularly those who dabbled in political philosophy or were political philosophers in their own right). Both primary sources and secondary sources guide my research. For example, I use books, newspaper articles, essays, and other public and private writings in the 19th century about thinkers such as Mary Astell, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Mercy Otis Warren. I analyze these sources with specific attention to the ways that people write about these 18th-century female intellectuals, such as focusing on diction and tone as well as the assumptions that emerge from these sources. Ultimately, my research reveals how people in the 19th century viewed prominent female intellectuals in the 18th century and sheds light on underlying themes among the conceptions of these 18th-century women.