Abstract
Throughout the nineteenth century, women’s clubs provided American women with the space to influence the patriarchal-dominated public sphere and venture beyond their traditional domestic roles. This paper demonstrates that the Relief Society women developed a more nuanced relationship with feminist agency through their initiatives. Through an analysis of 33 sets of meeting notes from the society’s early years, this paper argues that the Relief Society women established feminist agency by exercising female authority, addressing scandals and injustices, and building a sisterhood. Additionally, through feminist agency, the Relief Society paralleled, and pre-dated the activities of many popular women’s clubs during the late nineteenth century.
Recommended Citation
Nythruva, Adithi
(2026)
"American Women's Clubs in the Nineteenth Century: The Case of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo (1842-1844),"
Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History: Vol. 16:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
DOI: 10.20429/aujh.2026.160104
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/aujh/vol16/iss1/4