“I worked like a woman!”: the labor of women printed in the pages of the Jornal das Senhoras (Rio de Janeiro, 1852-1855)

Abstract

In order to open another interpretative prism regarding the work of literate women in the 19th century, in this article I have proposed to delve into the intellectual work of female authors printed in the Jornal das Senhoras, bringing to light the literate profile – or the unique expressions – of women who dared to disseminate their ideas. To this end, I conducted a detailed survey of the publications published in the newspaper throughout its period of circulation – between 1852 and 1855 –, highlighting the textual types and ideas constructed by women of letters, as well as the way they identified themselves in the public space, whether through their name, initials or pseudonym. From the perspective of feminist epistemologies, I problematized the attempt to erase – or “memoricide” – women’s work in the press, in social memory and in Brazilian historiography and sought to contribute to the (re)cognition of women as active subjects in history.