Public humanities/Featured

Saturday's featured articles

Different articles are featured here each day of the week. Visit again tomorrow to discover new public humanities resources.

Daisy White

Wingard moved to Columbia, South Carolina in search of new job opportunities. In Columbia, she met Younginer’s sister and decided to work for her. Wingard was paid $3.00 a week to cook two meals everyday. She also did laundry duties for two other households, in which she was paid $0.75 and $0.50 a week.

Wingard married Isaac Robinson, who was a homebuilder. They rented a house from Milbrooks for $2.00 a week. The house lacked electricity and running water. Only one water spigot was available in the backyard. The spigot often froze over in the winter, forcing Wingard to search for water throughout the neighborhood.

Wingard had two children, who were six years apart in age. They attended a Catholic school on Taylor Street.

During one winter, Wingard found an abandoned child and took the baby to Dr. Weston’s office. The doctor diagnosed the baby with pneumonia and claimed that the baby would die soon. Nevertheless, Wingard placed an onion poultice on the baby’s chest. Within a few days, the baby’s pneumonia was cured.

Learn more about Daisy White at Federal Writers' Project - Life Histories

Hatcher Hughes

Hughes briefly left his position at Columbia in 1916 and served as a captain during World War I and a member of the Armed Expeditionary Forces in France. Many students, faculty and alumni of college institutions were encouraged to enlist in the armed forces. Hughes completed most of his training in Camp Lee, Virginia before shipping off to the European front. He spent less than a year fighting in France, until the armistice was signed at 11am on November 11, 1918. He describes the cold and wet conditions that many soldiers endured during World War I, as well as the exhaustion and frustration that accompanied the fruitless war. Hughes remained in France with a host family until the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June of 1919. Hughes reports of the grand celebration that occurred in Paris after the signing of the treaty. He also discusses plans to visit Germany while on leave a few days before the treaty is signed, presumably for tourist travel purposes. Hughes wrote to his mother throughout the war about his desire for peace, while also specifying the need to defeat and humiliate Germany.

Learn more about Hatcher Hughes at World War I -- Life Histories

Edmonia Lewis

Mary “Edmonia” Lewis, known as Edmonia Lewis, was born c. 1845. Her mother was a Chippewa Indian who was married to an African-American man. Because her mother had free status, Lewis was born free. Historians are uncertain of her place of birth, but the most likely location is upstate New York (in or near Rensselaer County). After becoming an orphan at a young age, Lewis was raised primarily by her mother’s tribe. She briefly attended Oberlin College’s preparatory school for young girls when she was fourteen.

Learn more about Edmonia Lewis at The Crafting Freedom Project