Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
8-2011
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Stephen G. Fritz
Committee Members
Daniel Newcomer, Andrew L. Slap
Abstract
Jessie Ackermann traveled throughout the world representing numerous American reformist organizations during the Progressive Era. Over the course of her lifetime, she promoted progressive reforms in foreign lands. This study examines Ackermann's career a progressive in an international context. The Jessie Ackermann Collection in the Archives of Appalachia holds various records that document Ackermann's career. Ackermann also authored three books during her lifetime. This thesis employs these primary materials along with other appropriate primary and secondary sources dealing with Ackermann and the Progressive Era. Several historical studies have surveyed Ackermann's work as a reformer; however, none have sought exclusively to place her within the context of the Progressive Movement. Ackermann's experiences reveal that progressives not only sought to change society in America, but that some carried progressivism abroad to transform foreign societies. This study contributes to the understanding of Ackermann's work as a reformer and the international nature of progressivism.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Sheffield, Michael Jonathan, "An International Reformer: Jessie Ackermann and American Progressivism." (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1335. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1335
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.