Primary Sources: The American South: Society

"The collection includes two engagement books that document the daily activities of this coed, providing an interesting view of college life and dating culture in the early twentieth century. Short entries show that Cunningham was an active young woman who dated often while living at home with her parents. She described a variety of activities including studying, attending sorority and fraternity and other school functions, going to see movies, and dating. Some entries reveal that the popular Miss Cunningham often had dates with several eligible young men in a single day, enjoying respectable outings such as church, bridge gatherings, the picture show, and chaperoned dances. She later married Merrill Smith, one of the young men discussed in these diaries."

"Daniels shares an amusing story of one of his gambling exploits. Poet Ogden Nash became severely indebted to Daniels while they played dice. However, as a gentleman, Daniels had to allow Nash to save face by reclaiming his money. This passage demonstrates the role southern honor played in Daniels's personal interactions with others."

"Excerpts from Thomas Bowie’s diary provides us an opportunity to explore the culture of "Southern honor" in the antebellum. Bowie was a teenager when he wrote this diary and he was clearly anxious about his position in society. Throughout this diary, Bowie recorded his attempts to assert himself in all social settings: challenging authority figures, courting women, and fighting with his peers. Bowie wanted to be “No. 1.” Through this diary, we can see a young man from an elite Southern family attempting to establish himself as a man of "honor.""

Also includes links to:
William Wells Brown describes the Crafts' escape, The Liberator, January 12, 1849
A report on speeches made by William Wells Brown and William and Ellen Craft, 1849
Speech by Brown delivered in Croydon, England, 5 September 1849
Speech by Brown delivered in London, England, 27 September 1849
Speech by Brown delivered in London, England, 1 August 1851
Speech by Brown delivered in Manchester, England, 1 August 1854