"The Female Marine" and Related Works: Narratives of Cross-Dressing and Urban Vice in America's Early Republic

First published in 1815, The Female Marine purported to be the autobiography of a woman who, in order to escape the shame of having a child out of wedlock and subsequent work as a prostitute, disguised herself as a boy and joined the Marines. The popularity of this narrative led to its being reprinted 19 times in 3 years and gave rise to a series of sequels, also included in this modern edition. This is a lively tale full of duels, piracy, and swashbuckling. It is also a sobering study about what a woman in early 19th-century America had to do to achieve some level of independence. Cross-dressing for this protagonist is not about performing; it is about saving her life. In addition to the action-filled plot and astute cultural observations, this book has wonderfully florid 19th-century prose that makes it appropriate for reading aloud.