Overview

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a revolutionary period in the lives of women, and the shifting perceptions of women and their role in society were equally apparent in the courtroom. Women Who Kill Men examines eighteen sensational cases of women on trial for murder from 1870 to 1958. The fascinating details of these murder trials, documented in court records and embellished newspaper coverage, mirrored the changing public image of women. Although murder was clearly outside the norm for standard female behavior, most women and their attorneys relied on gendered stereotypes and language to create their defense and sometimes to leverage their status in a patriarchal system. Those who could successfully dress and act the part of the victim were most often able to win the sympathies of the jury. Gender mattered. And though the norms shifted over time, the press, attorneys, and juries were all informed by contemporary gender stereotypes.

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9780803245440

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Women Who Kill Men: California Courts, Gender, and the Press provides a unique, historical glimpse into the trials of female defendants charged with murder in California from 1870 to 1958. -Brooke Butler, Psychology of Women Quarterly -- Brooke Butler Psychology of Women Quarterly Women Who Kill Men will appeal to social historians, behaviorists, students of women's issues, and the buff trade. -Clark Secrest, Western Historical Quarterly -- Clark Secrest Western Historical Quarterly

Women Who Kill Men will appeal to social historians, behaviorists, students of women's issues, and the buff trade. --Clark Secrest, Western Historical Quarterly --Clark Secrest Western Historical Quarterly

Author Information

Gordon Morris Bakken is a professor of history at California State University, Fullerton. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Practicing Law in Frontier California (Nebraska 2006) and Mining Law of 1872: Past, Politics, and Prospects. Brenda Farrington is a lecturer in the history department at Chapman University. She has coauthored or coedited several books with Gordon Morris Bakken, including Law in the West and Encyclopedia of Women in the American West.

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