Prostitution and Power in Progressive-Era Texas: Entrepreneurship and the Influence of Madams in Fort Worth and San Antonio, 1877-1920

Abstract

"Prostitution and Power in Progressive-Era Texas: Entrepreneurship and the Influence of Madams in Fort Worth and San Antonio, 1877-1920," reconstructs the lives and careers of the madams of San Antonio and Fort Worth's red-light districts between 1877 and 1920. It details what it took to become an elite madam, explaining how a parlor house came into existence and what it needed to be successful and profitable. It highlights how madams curated relationships with politicians, law enforcement officers, and businessmen as a way to protect and expand their businesses. Furthermore, it analyzes and explains the social system of the sex trade, stressing the ambiguous nature of the relations between prostitutes and madams. Throughout it all, this project emphasizes the entrepreneurial and commercial characteristics of the madams. By focusing on the women who ran houses of prostitution as businesswomen, this dissertation makes a significant intervention in the historiographies of gender and entrepreneurship and prostitution.