Suggested Research Topics - The Role of Women in the Michigan Democratic Party, 1948-1960
Prior to 1948, Michigan was a one-party state in which the Republican Party was dominant. Twelve years later the two-part system was in place. A transformed Democratic Party, ideologically based on the New Deal and Fair Deal, had emerged as one of the strongest state parties in the country and was viewed as a model political party organization. One of the key groups which played a role in the resurgence of the Michigan Democratic Party was women.
Were women in the Michigan Democratic Party treated as equal participants with men in party affairs and decision making? What positions within the party hierarchy did women assume, and what power did they exert? What responsibilities were they given and how successful were they in carrying them out? What goals did the women set for themselves? For the party? What was the influence of Michigan women on the Democratic Party at the national level? In other state parties? Was the role of women in the Michigan Democratic Party different from or similar to role of women in other state parties?
Examples of Primary Source Collections and Other Resources:
- Helen Berthelot Papers
- Adelaide Hart Papers
- Margaret Price Papers
- Neil Staebler Papers
- Nancy Williams Scrapbooks
- Michigan. University. Williams Oral History Project
- Oral Interviews
In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.