“Changing One’s Hemisphere”: The Rise of the Independent American Woman Traveler and the Women’s Rest Tour Association

Documenting the history of leisure travel has claimed the attention of many scholars. Likewise, the women’s club movement in America has been identified and analyzed. However, my thesis is the first nexus of women’s independent travel and women’s club practices. The Women’s Rest Tour Association was founded in 1891 as a resource for independent American women travelers. It provided advice and information that eliminated the barriers of independent travel for women. Using the framework of the women’s club movement to identify common characteristics of progressive era women’s clubs, this thesis compares the similarities and differences between the WRTA and other contemporary women’s clubs. The Women’s Rest Tour Association archival collection, housed in the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe, is the primary source for much of my research. Additional sources from newspapers, magazines, and personal letters provide feedback on the success and failures of the association. Focusing on providing services for budget conscious travelers, the WRTA provides a unique look at the process of travel for a middle-class women. This thesis identifies the goals of the Women’s Rest Tour Association to educate and encourage American women of the late 1800s to travel independently and it demonstrates how their achievements impacted society.