‘Following the Line of Least Resistance’: African American Women in Domestic Work, 1899–1940

Authors

Taylor Simsovic, University of Toronto, St. GeorgeFollow

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges faced by African American women employed in domestic service between 1899 and 1940, with a focus on how race, class, and gender intersected to shape their experiences. Specifically, the study investigates how these women continued to perform reproductive labor as they migrated from the South to Northern states during the Great Migration. Drawing on a range of primary and secondary sources, the analysis argues that Black women's persistent employment in undervalued labor within white American homes was driven by the mutually constitutive systems of capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy. These systems channeled Black women into devalued labor and perpetuated their subordination. By shedding light on the historical experiences of a marginalized group of women, this study contributes to ongoing discussions on the intersectionality of oppression and highlights the importance of considering race, class, and gender together in historical analyses.

First Page

59

Last Page

84

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Simsovic, Taylor (2023) "‘Following the Line of Least Resistance’: African American Women in Domestic Work, 1899–1940," Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History: Vol. 13: Iss. 2, Article 6.
DOI: 10.20429/aujh.2023.130206
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/aujh/vol13/iss2/6