Female Adolescent Sexuality in the United States, 1850–1965

Female Adolescent Sexuality in the United States, 1850–1965, 1st Edition, examines the history of American girlhood from the mid-nineteenth century to the early 1960s. Written by Ann Kordas, the book investigates adult perceptions alongside the firsthand experiences of adolescent girls.

The volume explores what girls understood about sex, their personal concepts of romance, engagement with beauty culture, and the influence of popular media across distinct eras, including the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar years. It traces how social perspectives shifted from viewing female adolescents as naturally innocent and asexual to regarding and fearing them as primarily sexual.

Kordas incorporates the experiences of girls of color throughout the narrative, presenting a resource for historians examining girlhood and sexuality.