What question did this study set out to answer?

The paper investigates how the white slavery controversy was rhetorically constructed to affirm white national identity and obscure realities of sexual exploitation.

June 20, 2026Journal for the History of Rhetoric

The Rhetoric of White Slavery and the Making of National Identity by Leslie J. Harris

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RMRachael McIntosh

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Overview

Harris examines how the white slavery controversy shaped national identity, revealing racial and moral implications in the context of immigration.

Key Points

The paper investigates how the white slavery controversy was rhetorically constructed to affirm white national identity and obscure realities of sexual exploitation.
Analyzed various sources including newspapers, pamphlets, reports, and legislation from 1887 to the 1920s.
Explored the historical context of the white slavery controversy and its implications for national identity and race.
Applied concepts like 'the mobile imagination' to understand how rhetoric influenced perceptions of space and belonging.
The white slavery crisis was largely a rhetorical construct with little evidence supporting the threat to white women.
The controversy revealed a racialized perception of morality, linking the safety of white women to the nation's integrity.
The rhetoric of white slavery and legislation like the Mann Act indicated a broader agenda to control racial mobility and national identity.

Cite This Study

Rachael McIntosh (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a362ee4db0793dc1a5367a5 https://doi.org/10.5325/jhistrhetoric.29.1.0078

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June 20, 2026Journal for the History of Rhetoric

The Rhetoric of White Slavery and the Making of National Identity by Leslie J. Harris

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

RMRachael McIntosh

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Harris examines how the white slavery controversy shaped national identity, revealing racial and moral implications in the context of immigration.

Key Points

The paper investigates how the white slavery controversy was rhetorically constructed to affirm white national identity and obscure realities of sexual exploitation.
Analyzed various sources including newspapers, pamphlets, reports, and legislation from 1887 to the 1920s.
Explored the historical context of the white slavery controversy and its implications for national identity and race.
Applied concepts like 'the mobile imagination' to understand how rhetoric influenced perceptions of space and belonging.
The white slavery crisis was largely a rhetorical construct with little evidence supporting the threat to white women.
The controversy revealed a racialized perception of morality, linking the safety of white women to the nation's integrity.
The rhetoric of white slavery and legislation like the Mann Act indicated a broader agenda to control racial mobility and national identity.

Cite This Study

Rachael McIntosh (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a362ee4db0793dc1a5367a5 https://doi.org/10.5325/jhistrhetoric.29.1.0078

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