Faculty Advisor(s)
Jennifer Black
Abstract
In recent political discourses, queerness has often been treated as a modern phenomenon, and many people tend to think of queerness as a twentieth-century invention. Historians, however, have shown this to be false; an extensive amount of historical work details the lives of those who did not conform to sexual or gender norms in nineteenth-century America. This review surveys such works, analyzing nearly twenty different works spanning the course of nearly fifty years. By examining these works chronologically, the development of the field of queer history can be understood in the context of social and political developments occurring in the greater United States. This analysis also revealed the exclusion of certain nonconforming people, such as people assigned male at birth who transed gender. Terminology has been a topic of contention among historians, but terms from recent historians, such as gender migrants, provide a more inclusive vocabulary for historians to use. Recent historians have also begun to examine previously excluded nonconforming individuals, however, more research is needed to include the full breadth of nonconforming individuals in the historical literature.
Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Poster
Department
History
Keywords
queer history, nineteenth century, transgender studies, same-sex relationships, United States history
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | History | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Queer Studies
Recommended Citation
Wright, Vivian, "Queer Life in Nineteenth-Century America: A Historical Literature Review" (2025). SURF Posters 2025. 3.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/surf2025/3
Included in
History Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Queer Studies Commons