Abstract

This Senior Independent Study looks to examine the role of conservative female activism in the educational controversies throughout the twentieth century. This project argues that long-lasting gender norms dating back to the founding of the United States have shaped the development of conservative educational controversies. By building on the works of other scholars on conservative women and education, this project seeks to examine a wide span of educational controversies from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1980s. This project differs from other scholarship on this topic as it examines the longer history of these controversies as well as the role women played in them. By examining these textbook controversies in a much broader context, this independent study sheds a light on the traditional gender norms found throughout these conflicts. Newspaper articles, conservative organizational materials, government documents, and other sources flesh out the perspectives of these conservative education warriors as well as the thoughts of those surrounding them.

Advisor

Roche, Jeff

Department

History

Disciplines

Political History | Social History | United States History | Women's History

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2025 Jane Carpenter