“Story of ‘Murray Hall’ Told By Her Adopted Daughter.” St. Louis Republic, January 20, 1901. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020274/1901-01-20/ed-1/seq-23/.
This article can help students better understand the social and cultural norms of the time, especially regarding gender roles and expectations. Students can study how gender was defined and how those who did not conform to traditional gender roles were perceived. This study can lead to conversations about the challenges transgender people have faced and the importance of acceptance.
This article also enables consideration of how gender roles and societal expectations have evolved. Exploring historical perceptions of gender nonconformity can help students address contemporary issues related to gender identity. Promoting discussions about issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights, social justice, and the importance of inclusivity is important in the classroom to help students build critical thinking skills and foster a more empathetic and inclusive classroom environment.
Finally, this article can open conversations about why some ethnic groups were not included in the traditional ideals surrounding gender. This approach ties in well with discussions related to social justice and the importance of inclusivity.
This short article discusses the death of Murray Hall, who was born with the name “Mary Anderson” and assigned the gender of “female” but lived as a man for more than forty years. Hall’s adopted daughter provides the account, and the article talks about other people who lived their lives as a different gender.
Gender roles and expectations were rigidly defined and strictly enforced in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this time, in the public eye and in politics, gender was considered binary. Certain ideals and understandings of gender were deeply ingrained in American society, and these ideals were influenced by the Victorian era. Men were considered the head of the household, held positions of power in politics and business, and were expected to display masculinity at all times. This ideology meant that men were to emphasize strength, ambition, and stoicism. Women were viewed as homemakers and moral guardians of society. They were given limited public roles and were expected to be models of femininity through their submissiveness and purity.
These expectations were brought to the United States via Europeans, and thus they were established as the models of masculinity and femininity. Other groups were excluded from the expectations and societal roles, as they were often considered uncivilized, even when attempting to assimilate into American ideals. Thus, they were unable to participate in these norms in the same ways as their white counterparts.
- What were the expected roles and behaviors for men and women at the time of this article? What about now?
- How did these expectations differ for people who did not conform to traditional gender roles?
- How does this article portray Murray Hall? What aspects of his life and personality are emphasized?
- How does this historical account relate to contemporary discussions about gender identity, transgender rights, and LGBTQIA+ issues?
- What lessons can we learn from the past about acceptance and the importance of respecting someone’s identity?
New Mexico Common Core Standards
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Reading |
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects |
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RI.9-10.1: Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
RI.9-10.6:Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
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RH.6.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
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- Given that America’s early twentieth-century gender roles were defined by the Victorian era, a good way to start with this article is by discussing the traditional gender roles and expectations in that era. Students can explore how those norms came over to the United States, and this focus can be expanded by having students relate the historical norms to contemporary issues related to transgender rights and LGBTQIA+ equality. This approach could lead to discussions and research on how gender laws and social attitudes toward gender have changed since the early twentieth century.
- Students could engage in learning more about Murray Hall or other people who have lived lives as a different gender. Students could write poems or short stories inspired by their lives. Alternatively, students could write a short story from Hall’s perspective, reflecting on his experiences.
- A novel that could pair well with this article is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which is a coming-of-age tale that deals with themes of identity, sexuality, and finding one’s place in the world. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood is a popular choice for exploring themes of gender inequality and reproductive rights. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a good novel choice for exploring the outsider role Black women play in American feminist discussions.
- Some parents and/or administrators may be uncomfortable with this article in the classroom because of their religious or moral beliefs. They may find discussions on gender identity and diversity contrary to their beliefs. There could also be political objections, as some parents hold conservative political views and may view teaching about gender identity as undermining traditional values.
- Some parents believe that discussions about gender identity and sexuality are inappropriate for children. They may also fear that such discussions will confuse their children or make them uncomfortable, especially if these topics have yet to be discussed at home.
Links to resources for approaching those topics:
- “Teaching about Gender Identity” (Educators 4 Social Change): resource including links to lessons about teaching gender identity
- “Gender and Sexual Identity” (Learning for Justice): hub for anyone to learn more about gender identity. This website also includes resources on racism, ability, religion, class, immigration, bullying and bias, and rights and activism.
- Beyond the Golden Rule (Learning for Justice): resource guide for talking to students of all ages about treating people well
- “Handling Sensitive Topics” (Stanford Business Teaching and Learning Hub): resource guide for speaking with students about sensitive topics
- Tacoma Times article from 1915: This article shows an image of Nell Pickerrell with an accompanying article describing how the “man-woman” is still up to a life of crime.
- Salt Lake Herald article from 1893: This article, titled “A Woman Warrior,” discusses female soldier Hannah Snell, who dressed as a man, taking on the role of her brother-in-law. Her story is unique because after admitting to being a woman, she was honorably discharged from the British Royal Marines and given a pension. The article also includes a drawing of Snell.