Abstract
This thesis investigates the late 19th-century phenomenon of ``Dollar Princesses,'' affluent New York City socialites who strategically married into the British Aristocracy to secure their social status and power. This study focuses on figures such as Consuelo Vanderbilt, Jennie Jerome, and Minnie Stevens, examining how these women strategically utilized their marriages as platforms to advance their personal ambitions while navigating the rigid social hierarchies of the period. The analysis contends that these transatlantic unions were not merely transactions of wealth and status but were instrumental in challenging and redefining traditional social structures. By securing influence and asserting their identities within both American and British societies, these women contributed to a broader understanding of the intersections between social mobility, marriage, and gender. Through a detailed examination of their motivations and the societal pressures they encountered, the study offers new insights into the ways in which these marriages reshaped expectations and expanded possibilities for women during the Gilded Age.
Recommended Citation
Baldowski, Julia
(2024)
""Dollar Princesses" and "Husband Hunters": The Gilded Age Redefinition of the American Heiress,"
Locus: The Seton Hall Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 7, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70531/2573-2749.1070
Available at:
https://scholarship.shu.edu/locus/vol7/iss1/3