Date of Award
January 2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Kimberly Porter
Abstract
In early twentieth-century America, white society used white female purity, psychological and racial pressures, and intense physical violence as methods by which to control the sexual behavior of black men and white women. An exploration of the case study of African American boxer Jack Johnson reveals the use of these tools in the public response to his relationships with three white women: Belle Schreiber, Etta Duryea, and Lucille Cameron. As Johnson challenged white men in the boxing ring, he further challenged their supposed racial superiority through his blatant, public sexual relationships with and marriages to white women. Using legal documents and a variety of Chicago newspapers, this thesis explores black-male-white-female interracial relationships through public perception, touching on issues of legality, sexual autonomy, prostitution, mental disorders, abuse, suicide, race suicide, and lynching.
Recommended Citation
Duchsherer, Aimee M., ""A Picture Terrible In Its Significance": Jack Johnson, Interracial Relationships, And Methods Of White Social Control In Early Twentieth-Century America" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 1766.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/1766