Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

World History (Ph.D.)

Department

History

First Advisor

Timothy Milford

Second Advisor

Lara Vapnek

Third Advisor

Jessica Harris

Abstract

There is a wealth of information regarding the various facets of nineteenth century American history. However, the topic of uxoricide, husband-perpetrated wife murder, has not been the focus of many American historians. Women, particularly in middle- and working-class families, tackled a variety of challenges as American society was enduring many social and cultural changes. Every day women have been often kept in the background of previous historical narratives and were rarely the focus of previous literature. This dissertation places ordinary women as the focal point by examining the questions of how changes in American society, regarding alcohol consumption and views on marriage, often led women to being victims of cruelty and abuse, at the hands of their husbands. As these cases of cruelty and, in many cases, murder was reported in the media, it galvanized women to lead the charge for social change in areas such as temperance and early feminism. In order to complete this project, a variety of uxoricide court cases and newspaper accounts were studied to provide a clearer understanding as to why these crimes were occurring and what the community reactions to the violence were. Temperance literature, such as recorded speeches and propaganda posters, were also utilized to demonstrate how the movement was female-driven, and how women were often portrayed as victims of male alcoholism in order to garner support. By building on the historiographies of family violence, alcoholism, and marriage, this project connects changing marital expectations and alcohol abuse to the cultural significance of uxoricide. It argues that New York’s strict divorce laws and the ideal of familial privacy often trapped women in abusive marriages, exacerbating violent outcomes. Additionally, the project demonstrates that the temperance movement’s use of graphic violence had the unintended consequence of increased public fascination with crime literature. By centering the experiences of ordinary women, this study showcased the interconnection of social change, media, and reform in nineteenth-century America.

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