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This book is a collection of eleven essays, an introduction, and a conclusion that discuss issues of gender and sexuality in the twelve states of the Midwest. The book covers 200 years of midwestern history—from the early nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century—and includes the experiences of midwesterners of diverse races, religions, and sexualities. The essays are arranged according to three topical categories. Essays in the first section of the book deal with some aspect of Memory and Methodology, those in the second section engage matters of Community and Belief, and the chapters in the final third of the manuscript address intersections of Biography and Politics. The authors of all eleven essays firmly ground their analyses within the categories of gender and/or sexuality. Essayists include discussion of men and masculinity as well as women and femininity. In addition, several of the essays address situations outside the realm of heterosexual monogamy: plural marriage, celibacy, LGBTQ+ relationships. In other words, the book engages with developments in subject matter and methodology that have changed the gender studies field over the past 15-30 years.

Authors have written their essays with an eye toward a broad audience. The book is appropriate reading for historians of women, gender, and sexuality; scholars of midwestern history and midwestern studies; undergraduate and graduate students in women’s and gender history courses; undergraduate and graduate students in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies courses; and non-academic readers with a particular interest in the Midwest or gender history.

Contributors

Kristin Mapel Bloomberg
Nikki Berg Burin
Stewart Davenport
Kara M. French
Barbara Handy-Marchello
Birgit Hans
Dean J. Kotlowski
David Mislin
Cynthia C. Prescott
Ashley Rattner
Jordan Zdinak

This engaging collection of essays explores the lives and legacies of six Ohio-born First Ladies: Lucy Webb Hayes, Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, Caroline Scott Harrison, Ida Saxton McKinley, Helen Herron Taft, and Florence Kling Harding. With contributions by leading scholars, the volume moves beyond traditional biography to examine how each woman’s Ohio roots shaped her public role and influenced her husband’s political career at both state and national levels. Connecting Ohio history to the broader narrative of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century US history, these essays draw on rich primary and secondary sources to illuminate the intersection of regional identity and national politics. Accessible and insightful, Ohio’s First Ladies invites readers of all backgrounds—from high school students to lifelong learners—to discover how the Midwest helped mold women who would leave their mark on the White House. Contributors Benjamin T. Arrington Jennifer Capps Annette B. Dunlap Kara M. French Michelle Gullion Katherine Jellison Katherine A. S. Sibley