Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2023/Fall/Section33/The Family of Isaac Bobbitt

The Family of Isaac Bobbitt

Steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1909

Biography

Early Life & Childhood

Isaac “Ike” Bobbitt was born “across the creek in Randolph” County, North Carolina. After his mother’s second marriage, Ike left their farm and went to live with his uncle in Moore County, North Carolina on a farm known as "The Brownie Place". Eager to explore the world, Ike joined the navy and traveled for four years before returning to The Brownie Place.

Adult Life

Upon Ike’s return to The Brownie Place, he married Mary Harmon, and they had three children: Earle, Ada, and Polly. They lived a quaint life as a farming family on their mass plots of land. Ike and his family moved north to Pittsburgh when he took a job at a steel mill. While in Pittsburgh, the Bobbitt's let Ben Wilson and his wife Annie raise a family on their land for a monthly payment. After eight years, the Bobbitt’s returned to Moore and continued to raise their family in the south. After his children grew up, Ike returned to the North to continue his work in the steel mills as Mary continued to live in Moore County.

Social Context

Tensions Between the Industrializing North and Agricultural South

The tension between the northern and southern regions throughout the 1900s reflected the stark economic and social contrasts that defined the United States during this period. As the North surged ahead in industrialization, urbanization, and technological progress, it became increasingly distinct from the agrarian, traditional South, which was heavily reliant on plantation agriculture. The North's rapid economic growth was fueled by factors like mass production, immigration, and the rise of manufacturing industries, leading to a more diverse and urban society. This rapid industrial revolution began “attracting capital, human and physical, out of rent seeking, commerce, and 'agriculture', and into manufacturing, the heart of modern economic growth". In contrast, the South clung to the plantation system and an economy deeply rooted in the labor-intensive cultivation of cash crops, all powered by a system of racial segregation and discrimination. These disparities would ultimately culminate in the American Civil War, which erupted in the 1860s but left a legacy of bitterness and regional divisions that persisted into the 1900s, affecting politics, race relations, and economic development for decades to come.

Challenging the Traditional Gender Roles of the Rural Southern Woman

In the 1900s, American society presented a growing challenge to the traditional gender roles of rural Southern women. This shift was primarily driven by a series of social, economic, and political changes. As industrialization and urbanization expanded across the nation, opportunities for women outside the home also increased. Women in the South began to seek employment in factories, offices, and other non-agrarian sectors. The suffrage movement gained momentum, leading to the eventual granting of women's voting rights in 1920 with the 19th Amendment, giving women a political voice and influence. Moreover, the impact of two world wars called women to the workforce in even larger numbers, reshaping perceptions of their capabilities and roles. These changes challenged the conventional view of rural Southern women as solely homemakers and nurturers, opening the door to new possibilities and redefining their roles in society. While challenges remained, this era marked a significant step in breaking down the traditional gender roles of Southern women and contributing to a broader transformation of gender norms across the nation. This shift in thought has led to a broader understanding and acceptance of gender equality within the rural South, however this sexism still hasn’t been entirely eradicated. “Although gender role attitudes are becoming less traditional for men and for women, traditional gender role orientation continues to exacerbate the gender wage gap”.

References

• Arrighi, G., Silver, B.J. & Brewer, B.D. Industrial convergence, globalization, and the persistence of the North-South divide. St Comp Int Dev 38, 3–31 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686319
• Judge, Timothy A., and Beth A. Livingston. “Is the Gap More than Gender? A Longitudinal Analysis of Gender, Gender Role Orientation, and Earnings.” Journal of Applied Psychology 93, no. 5 (2008): 994–1012. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.5.994
• Okie, William Thomas. “Agriculture and Rural Life in the South, 1900–1945.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.828
• Arrington, Benjamin T. “Industry and Economy during the Civil War (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, August 23, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/articles/industry-and-economy-during-the-civil-war.htm.
• Benner, Louise. “Women in the 1920s in North Carolina.” NCpedia, January 1, 2004. https://www.ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/1920s-women
• Hine, Lewis. “‘In the Mill’ by Lewis Hine.” National Archives and Records Administration, 1909. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/picturing_the_century/port_hine/port_hine_img21.html
• “The Family of Isaac Bobbitt” Interview by Harriet Works Corley, date January, 1939, Folder 57, Federal Writers’ Project papers #753, Southern Historical Collection, the Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.