History 598: Race and Gender in the U.S. West

Professor J. Wu

Reading Questions for Relations of Rescue

1. Why does Peggy Pascoe choose to use the phrase - "search for female morale authority?"
  1. Why is regulating sexuality so important for female reformers?
  2. What was the significance of suffrage for these women?
  3. Characterize the relations between female reformers and their male counterparts? How did the Western context shape these relationships?

5. What were the motivations of residents who sought shelter in rescue homes? How did their motivations compare with the goals of the reformers?

6. Characterize the racial beliefs of the white reformers.

  1. Define the concept of the "native helper." What types of challenges did they face?
  2. What types of services did rescue homes provide for residents who left the homes? In what context did they assist former residents? In what context did they criticize former residents?
  3. What happened to the rescue homes? Evaluate their significance and contributions to the American West.

 

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