Date of Award

8-11-2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Wendy Hamand Venet

Second Advisor

Glenn T. Eskew

Abstract

Ladies' Memorial Associations (LMAs) initially formed after the Civil War in order to provide proper burials for dead Confederate soldiers. Women in LMAs raised funds to beautify cemeteries and erect monuments. However, their work was hardly limited to caring for the dead as the actions of the LMAs can be considered the beginnings of the Lost Cause. Even if the LMAs did not necessarily realize it or intend it, their work was visibly political and had far-reaching implications, especially for a subsequent women's group, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). Until now, little research has been conducted on the LMA chapters in Georgia. This work brings Southern women of the post-Civil War era back into the historical narrative and demonstrates their involvement in the creation of the Lost Cause.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/7368120

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