The White Slave Trade Hysteria

     As many others in class last week, it was my first time hearing of the White Slave Trade hysteria. It is saddening much like many things that happened in history. Unfortunately, history really does repeat itself or we just don’t learn from our past mistakes. As of 2023, there are 19 licensed brothels in Nevada, and who knows how many illegal ones around the United States. 

    On a brighter note, however, we have come a long way in terms of women safety in the streets, but the fear still does run because of preconceived notions. Before I first started here at TCU, I never had a fear of going shopping alone or taking a walk around my home. Coming to TCU and being far from home instilled in me a new fear of walking out of class at night. I even purchased pepper spray to place on my keychain, which I never used, but had for the feeling of being able to defend myself in the event of harm. In addition, reading stories on social media of abductions or trafficking added to this fear, although we are in a primarily safe area.

    This has not changed from the past. It is disheartening to learn of the way women were lured into these locations, even from overseas. They were told to come to the US for work, but were instead taken elsewhere. I can’t imagine the fear that was drifting around the cities especially in the hearts of women. 

    Another shocking aspect was what seemed like such a sudden shift in culture. As we talked about in class, women were not to be seen with men alone. If you want to date, it must be under supervision or in the home of the young lady. Cities went from being conservative in that aspect to having a libertarian attitude toward prostitution. Brothels were legal and openly available. How did such a huge shift happen and how did it end up being so extreme rather than gradual?


Comments

  1. williams.dan76October 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM

    Thanks for responding to the White Slave Hysteria. It riveted people in the early 29th century, and yet surprisingly it is so little known today. And I agree it is disheartening to realize history repeats itself. There's a lot of sex trafficking that goes on today.

    ReplyDelete

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