Rewriting Sex: Sexual Knowledge in Antebellum America

Download or read book Rewriting Sex: Sexual Knowledge in Antebellum America written by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-02-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The public discussion of sexuality in America first came about in the 1820s. Predictably, Americans diverged considerably on how to approach the controversial topic. Folk wisdom, current scientific beliefs, and the teachings of evangelical Christianity all shaped the antebellum conversation about the moral, social and physical implications of sex. In her introduction, Professor Horowitz takes American sexual history beyond the boundaries of the twentieth century and elucidates the complex issues surrounding nineteenth-century debates and dialogue. Helpful headnotes contextualize this colorful selection of hard-to-find documents, which includes medical articles, religious pamphlets, advertisements and propaganda, and popular literature. Contemporary illustrations, a chronology, and a bibliography foster students’ understanding of antebellum sexual knowledge.