Erin--thanks for the link! It seems to me that Barceló was an amazing woman, one of those larger-than-life characters that make such excellent stories. I found it interesting how Gonzalez tried to separate the facts of Barceló's life from the fictions created and written about her. Her true life and nature are very much a mystery, cross-referenced from accounts of the period.  --Sarah Smethurst

Erin--thanks for the link! It seems to me that Barceló was an amazing woman, one of those larger-than-life characters that make such excellent stories. I found it interesting how Gonzalez tried to separate the facts of Barceló's life from the fictions created and written about her. Her true life and nature are very much a mystery, cross-referenced from accounts of the period.  --Sarah Smethurst

I found this reading to be the most interesting. Gertrudis Barceló was able to change the behavior of western women through a saloon, and not only that..she was a woman, making big bucks. Dancing, smoking, gambling makes it sound like her saloon was the modern-day club of the time. Because their was a "disjunction between the idealized married life and the conditions that stood in the way of its realization...such as taking in boarders or having children out of wedlock"(255), she was able to pull off this "step outside the boundaries of her society". -- David Fitch

I found this reading to be the most interesting. Gertrudis Barceló was able to change the behavior of western women through a saloon, and not only that..she was a woman, making big bucks. Dancing, smoking, gambling makes it sound like her saloon was the modern-day club of the time. '''Because their was a "disjunction between the idealized married life and the conditions that stood in the way of its realization...such as taking in boarders or having children out of wedlock"(255), she was able to pull off this "step outside the boundaries of her society".''' -- David Fitch

I really enjoyed this passage because it shed light on an area that women are not typically portrayed as being a part of. Gambling, dancing and the general atmosphere and persona attributed to running a saloon are typically male dominated spheres (even today most women who work there or are seen doing these types of things are looked at as "loose" or simply atypical. It was interesting to read about a woman who broke the mold back then and who probably would have the same effect in certain areas of the US today. --jmarshal

I really enjoyed this passage because it shed light on an area that women are not typically portrayed as being a part of. Gambling, dancing and the general atmosphere and persona attributed to running a saloon are typically male dominated spheres (even today most women who work there or are seen doing these types of things are looked at as "loose" or simply atypical. It was interesting to read about a woman who broke the mold back then and who probably would have the same effect in certain areas of the US today. --jmarshal

What I found significant in this reading is not just the Euro-American recognition of a similar drive in Barcelo and the contrast of Spanish-American society with Anglo attitudes towards women, but the language Gonzalez uses throughout her narrative. "She symbolized as well how an older community handled the arrival of men from a new, young nation still seeking to tap markets and find a route to the Pacific. . . . Yet in giving herself to the conquest . . . .” (258) this is the kind of gendered language that is the mainstay of historical narratives—women and conquered nations as passive beings that are acted upon by younger, more virile nations.  It’s surprising that a female historian, whether feminist in outlook or not, would continue to use such language. -schang

What I found significant in this reading is not just the Euro-American recognition of a similar drive in Barcelo and the contrast of Spanish-American society with Anglo attitudes towards women, but '''the language Gonzalez uses throughout her narrative. "She symbolized as well how an older community handled the arrival of men from a new, young nation still seeking to tap markets and find a route to the Pacific. . . . Yet in giving herself to the conquest . . . .” (258) this is the kind of gendered language that is the mainstay of historical narratives—women and conquered nations as passive beings that are acted upon by younger, more virile nations.  It’s surprising that a female historian, whether feminist in outlook or not, would continue to use such language.''' -schang

== Susan Shelby Magoffin’s diary about her first days in Santa Fe, 1846 ==

== Susan Shelby Magoffin’s diary about her first days in Santa Fe, 1846 ==

First, I completely agree with Christine about how it was interesting that someone was brave enough to publish this. I think it was awful the way these Indian women were treated. They had done nothing wrong, but probably were submissive to the soldiers because they were afraid. The worst part about this entire situation and others like it, was that these soldiers probably got away without punishment for what they did, or if they were punished, it was minimal. --- Alex Mankarios

First, I completely agree with Christine about how it was interesting that someone was brave enough to publish this. I think it was awful the way these Indian women were treated. They had done nothing wrong, but probably were submissive to the soldiers because they were afraid. The worst part about this entire situation and others like it, was that these soldiers probably got away without punishment for what they did, or if they were punished, it was minimal. --- Alex Mankarios

I agree with the comments posted previously--I would like to add that it might be of significance that the letter ends with the demand that these soldiers be brought to justice for the "honor, the reputation, the chivalry of the army of the United States..." rather than because of their actions.  Would this letter have been written had the rapes been perpetrated by civilians?  Is the writer upset because Indian women were raped or because it was soldiers from the US Army that committed them? -schang

I agree with the comments posted previously--'''I would like to add that it might be of significance that the letter ends with the demand that these soldiers be brought to justice for the "honor, the reputation, the chivalry of the army of the United States..." rather than because of their actions.  Would this letter have been written had the rapes been perpetrated by civilians?  Is the writer upset because Indian women were raped or because it was soldiers from the US Army that committed them?''' -schang

== Bills of Sale of Chinese Prostitutes, 1875-1876 ==

== Bills of Sale of Chinese Prostitutes, 1875-1876 ==

Super-disturbing.  Particularly in the first contract where, on page 238, it lists all of the ailments that would justify a return of the product.  First of all, pregnancy is mentioned as one of these "great sicknesses" and also the really hilarious, "'stone-woman,' i.e, inability to have carnal intercourse with men."  What sort of inability would this be?  If women were willing to do this in order to leave China, even if prostitution played a different social role there, then they must have been escaping some bad situations.  Or else, they had been persuaded that much better conditions waited for them in America than actually did.  -Erin B.

Super-disturbing.  Particularly in the first contract where, on page 238, it lists all of the ailments that would justify a return of the product.  First of all, pregnancy is mentioned as one of these "great sicknesses" and also the really hilarious, "'stone-woman,' i.e, inability to have carnal intercourse with men."  What sort of inability would this be?  If women were willing to do this in order to leave China, even if prostitution played a different social role there, then they must have been escaping some bad situations.  Or else, they had been persuaded that much better conditions waited for them in America than actually did.  -Erin B.

"Super-disturbing" hits the mark. A few things I think are important to keep in mind:  inflation (that was a lot more money back then), the probability that these women did not know their options and what they were getting into, the character of the mistresses (I think it's safe to say that they lied through their teeth), and the differences between prostitution in the US and the prostitution in China (these women, not intending to get into this line of work, were therefore probably not trained as cultured courtesans, and I doubt American prostitution looked at all the same as in China). I also think that the editors gave us some important context in their short description of the document on page 232:  "...several "bills of sale" of Chinese women who "consented" to become prostitutes.." The editors, in their phrasing and use of quotation marks hint that these documents were  not fully presented to or understood by the women; in all probability, they were either forged or signed under very false pretenses.  --Sarah Smethurst

"Super-disturbing" hits the mark. A few things I think are important to keep in mind:  inflation (that was a lot more money back then), the probability that these women did not know their options and what they were getting into, the character of the mistresses (I think it's safe to say that they lied through their teeth), and the differences between prostitution in the US and the prostitution in China (these women, not intending to get into this line of work, were therefore probably not trained as cultured courtesans, and I doubt American prostitution looked at all the same as in China). I also think that the editors gave us some important context in their short description of the document on page 232:  "...several "bills of sale" of Chinese women who "consented" to become prostitutes.." '''The editors, in their phrasing and use of quotation marks hint that these documents were  not fully presented to or understood by the women;''' in all probability, they were either forged or signed under very false pretenses.  --Sarah Smethurst