Preservation Thursday: Prostitution in the American West: Brief Notes on a Long History - Deadwood

Oct 12, 2023

History is all about stories. Whose stories do we tell? How do we tell them? How do they shape how we think about the past while also reflecting who we think we are today? Especially when it comes to a topic like prostitution, where the seller is often cast as either a harlot or a victim, how do we tell stories about those individuals who sold sex for a living? In American lore, men went west when gold was discovered to find adventure and seek their fortunes. They saw opportunity for land, wealth, and independence. What we often don’t hear is that women went west for the same reasons, not as wives or daughters, but as fortune seekers themselves. Except the fortune they were seeking wasn’t embedded in veins in mountains but in the pockets of the men who literally struck gold – and they earned their wages by selling sex. Women and sex work were an integral part of how the American West was built. Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Kayla Pritchard from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will focus on Deadwood, but she will also highlight other interesting stories and women from the region. Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center; 12:00 p.m.; free for members and $5 for non-members.

History is all about stories. Whose stories do we tell? How do we tell them? How do they shape how we think about the past while also reflecting who we think we are today? Especially when it comes to a topic like prostitution, where the seller is often cast as either a harlot or a victim, how do we tell stories about those individuals who sold sex for a living? In American lore, men went west when ...

Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center