From 1871 to 1883; Eliza Lucy Irion Neilson (1843-1913) composed and saved more than 130 letters documenting family and domestic life in Columbus; Mississippi. A New Southern Woman features 80 letters from Neilson's correspondence; providing readers with a glimpse into the recovery of domestic culture in postwar Mississippi; the impact of the war on marriage and education; and a reflection on family relationships after the conflict ended. Lucy Irion married farmer John Abert Neilson (1842-1922) in April 1871; and together the couple created an agricultural partnership out of the scrimping modesty of a new Southern ethos. As Lucy built her life around visions of a domestic ideal; she also watched her widowed sister; Lizzie; her single sister; Cordele; and her schoolgirl niece; Bess; search for their own ways of becoming women of the New South. When it came to turning the war-torn vestiges of antebellum femininity into a workable postwar reality; white Southern women no longer looked to one ideal. Instead Neilson's correspondence suggests that elite white womanhood remained a fluid and negotiated territory where submissive wives; memorial crusaders; and single and self-sufficient women created a new Southern consciousness under a broader rubric of genteel postwar femininity. Fashioning their contrasting individual stories within the collective bonds of family and community; the Irion women met and overcame the generational challenges of postwar life together--and; by celebrating both the traditional and nondependent ideals of womanhood; they made a dynamic contribution to the creation of a New South.
#2122474 in Books 2011-05-31 2011-05-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .31 x 6.00l; .70 #File Name: 1609490398192 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Engaging telling of Westchester County's role in the American RevolutionBy Jim MorrisGeorge Washington's Westchester Gamble is a riveting and descriptive telling of the story of the American Revolution and Westchester County's role in the Revolutionary War. This book is extremely engaging. I have only a passing; casual interest in history; but I found this book very hard to put down. For the first time I heard of how Bushnell's American Turtle; the world's first submarine; was built to take on the mighty British Navy (and how it met it's ironic demise!). I learned of American John Odell's "Skirmish on the Ice" while horse backing on the frozen Hudson River and of the attack on the Youngs house in central Westchester County. Stories of men and individuals traveling long distances in cold; unbearable weather with little or no provisions before any mechanized transportation. They were really a hearty bunch back then. I really got a sense of what happened in the war and have a greater appreciation of what the people who started this country went through. It's amazing how many Westchester County residents are living; working and traveling past such important places in our country's history every day. This book points out lots of them. Kudos to the author for his detailed research. A really enjoyable read!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Lots of stuff about Dobbs Ferry in here :DBy Amie ZinerWonderfully well researched and written; this book describes historical events; the context of the decisions; and the locations where it all happened. I love reading about my childhood home town and its history. I'll be getting copies for my family that all have moved away from Dobbs; but still feel great affection for the area.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nice supplement to Washington's strategiesBy MARILYN G. DERIGHTPurchased for a writer about the era who was pleased to have it.
