Sin in the Second City
Subtitle: madams, ministers, playboys, and the battle for America's soul
By: Karen Abbott.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2007
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 356
ISBN-13: 9781400065301; 9780812975994
Subjects: Everleigh, Ada; Everleigh, Minna; Everleigh Club; Prostitution -- Illinois -- Chicago; Brothels -- Illinois -- Chicago
Description: A vivid snapshot of America's journey from Victorian-era propriety to 20th-century modernity. Step into the perfumed parlors of the Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in American history--and the catalyst for a culture war that rocked the nation. Operating in Chicago at the dawn of the 20th century, the Club welcomed moguls and actors, senators and athletes, foreign dignitaries and literary icons into a stately double mansion, and the Everleigh sisters treated their girls far better than most madams. But not everyone appreciated their attempts to elevate the industry. Their most daunting foes were the Progressive Era reformers, who sent the country into a frenzy with lurid tales of "white slavery"--the allegedly rampant practice of kidnapping young girls and forcing them into brothels. This furor shaped America's sexual culture and had repercussions all the way to the White House, including the formation of the FBI.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [331]-339) and index.