Divorcing Socialists: Urban Divorce Culture and Danish Socialists in Chicago, 1876-1881

Résumé 0

The surge in late-nineteenth century American divorce rates, particularly among the working class, has since then perplexed scholars. This study argues that understanding this phenomenon requires a multifaceted approach, considering both the urban context and various intersecting factors such as gender, ethnicity, class, and race. By focusing on the 1881 divorce trial of Paul and Johanne Geleff in Chicago, this article explores the influence of new social environments on the adoption of a burgeoning divorce culture, beyond transnationally transmitted values. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, the analysis examines the intersectionality of social categories, arguing that urban living conditions, combined with class and racial, gender, and ethnic dynamics, contributed to the high divorce rates in urban America. By situating the Geleff divorce within the broader context of Scandinavian American historiography and labor movements, this article provides a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic and cultural factors driving late-nineteenth-century divorces. Ultimately, it demonstrates that the rise in divorces was a complex social phenomenon influenced by an interplay of diverse factors in both private and public spheres.