The
History of Women in Espionage: Wartime Wives, Double Agents, and the Female
Contribution to the World of Spies
A
Pathfinder
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This pathfinder is a
guide to finding sources relating to the history of female involvement in and
contribution to the world of espionage, primarily focusing on the United States
in times of war. It is based on the
sources available through the Southwest Branch of the Orange County Public
Library System, located in Orlando (Dr. Phillps), Florida. The target audience consists of students
researching projects or papers, particularly at the high school or college
level.
Despite the fact that
it is only within recent decades that women have been allowed to participate as
equal members in military efforts, there is a well-established history of the
contributions women have made to war efforts prior to being allowed
recognition. One particular field in
which women have long been involved is that of espionage. Whether passing along British secrets
overheard while being forced to quarter soldiers in the American Revolution,
pretending to support the opposing side to gather information in the Civil War,
or entering enemy territory to steal war plans and secrets at the risk of
personal safety in World Wars I and II, women have served as spies for the
United States much longer than they have been allowed to be legitimate
participants in today’s primary intelligence agencies (the Secret Service, the
Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation).
While the importance of
the roles female spies have played in America’s safety is often overlooked,
however, there is recognition that can be found (though sporadically) in
various sources based on wartime America.
From the brief sketches of the Revolutionary War to exhaustive volumes
of World War II and the Holocaust, women are slowly gaining credit for their
incomparable involvement in the victories of the United States. Clearing the path for those women who now
proudly serve their country as soldiers, intelligence agents, and defense
specialists, America’s original female spies did their work out of allegiance,
but succeeded in leaving a legacy of success that cannot and should not simply
be ignored.
Although
there are no definitive sources on the history of female spies, the following
call numbers provide sections in which books containing snippets of the topic
appear. While not all are legitimate
reference sources, those found by browsing the stacks can provide perspective
on the matter as many of them available in the Southwest Branch are written by
current or former participants in the world of espionage.
327.12
353 – 359
363.232 – 364.13
745.54
940.54 – 941.085
973.786, 973.918
JR 920, 940, 973
R 030, 031, 305, 320, 353, 920, 940, 973
Throughout
the search process, the following subject headings are helpful both in terms of
the Southwest Branch’s “Subject Headings Guide” and the library’s available
databases. There are other terms that
can be derived from the list below and they can be mixed in various
combinations; however, the following list provides a comprehensive collection
of terms that will provide a multitude of sources.
Espionage
Espionage - - Biography
Espionage - - Dictionaries
Espionage - - United States - - History
Intelligence agents/officers - - United States
Intelligence Service
Intelligence Service - - History
Intelligence Service - - United States
Spies
Spies - - History
Spies - - United States
Spies - - Biography
Providing
general information such as definitions and brief overviews of phrases and topics,
encyclopedias are a useful starting point for research. They help to define the topic being studied
and can often provide a basis from which to draw future search terms. Encyclopedias are helpful in finding mention
of names and events in particular that can then be found in other sources more
focused on a particular topic.
Bessette, J.M. & Rasmussen, R.K.
(Eds.). (1998). Encyclopedia of American
government. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, Inc.
Call number: R 320.473 ENC
A two volume collection, this encyclopedia gives a decent
overview of current espionage ideas through descriptions of today’s
government-sanctioned espionage programs (the Secret Service, the Federal
Bureau of Investigations, and the Central Intelligence Agency). There is no specific history detailing spies
of the past, but the source grants a solid understanding of where past efforts
have led.
Cullen-DuPont, K. (2000). Encyclopedia of women’s history in America
(2nd ed.). New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc.
Call number: R305.409 CUL
Providing information on both events and individuals, this
source is a very detailed look at the evolution of the woman’s role in
society. While terms such as “espionage”
are not covered directly, it is a good reference to consult once others have
provided either names or events surrounding female spies.
Heidler, D.S. & Heidler, J.T.
(Eds.). (2000). Encyclopedia of the
American Civil War. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc.
Call number: R 973.703 HEI
A five volume set, this is an excellent source for
understanding the circumstances of the Civil War and how those led to a
continually increasing need for spies.
While there are no women mentioned specifically, volume two provides a
foundation of wartime data from which to build knowledge of female involvement.
Keenan, S. (1996). Scholastic encyclopedia of women in the United States. New York,
NY: Scholastic Inc.
Call number: JR 920.72 SCH
Though a book intended as a reference point for younger
students, this encyclopedia provides a springboard to information on women’s
espionage efforts in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. No specific names are mentioned; however, an
overview of women’s roles is provided.
A
combination of almanacs/factbooks, yearbooks/chronologies, and companion books,
the following sources are both more and less informative than the
encyclopedias. While the almanacs and
factbooks provide quick data that also points to relevant names and events, the
yearbooks and chronologies put those events in perspective and both often go
into detail on the impact and importance of those people and occurrences. The companion books expand on those facts and
give lengthier specifics than the other sources. While ready reference sources still only add
to the skeleton of knowledge to be acquired from encyclopedias, they provide a
larger base of knowledge on the topic which can then be expanded upon with
further study.
Boyer, P.S. et. al. (Eds.). (2001). The Oxford companion to United States
history. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Call number: R 973.03 OXF
Though women’s espionage efforts are not directly mentioned
in this one volume, alphabetically-organized companion, a section on
“Intelligence Gathering and Espionage” that details the rise of the Central
Intelligence Agency (among other espionage-related history) serves as an
overview of the effect the past has had on today.
Feldman, G. (2000). World War II almanac. Farmington Hills,
MI: U.X.L.
Call number: JR 940.53 WOR
In both of the two volumes of this almanac there is detailed
information on women’s war efforts throughout World War II. The first volume in particular, though, is
helpful to the topic of female spies as the general history includes women.
Franck, I. & Brownstone, D. (1999).
Illustrated history of women.
Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational.
Call number: R 305.409 FRA
A ten volume collection of the chronology of women’s
history, it is only within volumes five through ten that information relating
to the topic can be found. In those six
volumes, however, there are multiple references made to female spies and the
roles they played from 1750 to 1998.
Since most of women’s espionage efforts occurred during times of war, it
is beneficial to look through volumes containing years of the various wars the
United States has been involved in through the decades.
Gross, E., Johnston, R.D., Lawson, R.,
& Rosier, P. (2003). The American
years (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Call number: R 973 AME
This two volume chronology of general American history does
not focus specifically on any particular time frame, so espionage facts and
events appear sporadically throughout the years. The source provides a wider scope than many
of the others, therefore, which tend to focus on only one era.
Hillstrom, K. & Hillstrom, L.C.
(2000). American Civil War almanac.
Farmington Hills, MI: U.X.L.
Call number: R 973.7 HIL
One of the few sources to do so, this almanac discusses
women spies specifically. The section on
espionage is short, but it is solely dedicated to women’s involvement and
provides in-depth detail about the extent of that contribution.
Janssen, S. (2008). The world almanac and book of facts 2008.
New York, NY: World Almanac Books.
Call number: R 030 WOR
A reference book packed full of facts and figures, the
section on U.S. Facts, History, & Elections contains a brief history of the
United States, including a chronology of events that mentions espionage-related
events. There is a limit to the details,
however, the overview is helpful to understanding the broader impacts of world
events in which spies were participants.
Kane, J.N., Anzovin, S. & Podell,
J. (1997). Famous first facts (5th
ed.). Bronx, NY: The H.W. Wilson Company.
Call number: R 031.02 KAN
Containing a vast range of “firsts” throughout the United
States, this book is an excellent source for locating names and dates,
particularly for a more contemporary picture of female spies. The names of the first women agents of
various intelligence departments can be located, which can then be used for
more in-depth research.
Rowen, B. (2005). The Time almanac 2006 with Information Please. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Call number: R 030 TIM
A fairly generalized, ready-reference source, this almanac
includes a timeline of United States history that again introduces dates of
events surrounding espionage efforts. It
is a starting point from which to gain context for further investigation.
Saari, P. & Saari, A.M. (Eds.).
(2001). The Holocaust and World War II
almanac. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, Inc.
Call number: R 940.5318 HOL
Out of a three volume almanac collection, the Southwest
Branch Library has only the second two available. The information contained in the third volume
in particular, though, is pertinent and brings to light names of specific
female war spies, as well as information on their lives and their espionage achievements.
Smith, J.C. (2003). Black firsts (2nd ed.).
Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press.
Call number: R 973.0496 BLA
A listing of firsts for African-Americans, this source is
another good book from which to find names that can be further
investigated. Although most of the
espionage-related achievements are modern, there are mentions of the
achievements of African-American women in the field that are often overlooked
in some of the more mainstream, war-oriented sources.
Urdang, L. (Ed.). (1996). The timetables of American history. New
York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Call number: R 973 TIM
A chronology of American history that covers events in two
columns, “America” and “Elsewhere,” this source is to be used for looking up
events occurring through the years.
While names are mentioned in the index, this book is best used in
searching for events along the timetable, upon where names and specifics can be
found.
Collections
of historic material about various figureheads, biographical sources provide
detailed information about individuals who are somehow connected to any given
topic. Although biographies found in
reference materials are often part of larger collections and therefore short,
they are also typically detailed and are beneficial sources to consult after
finding names in other, more generalized sources.
Altman, S. (2001). Extraordinary African-Americans.
Danbury, CT: Children’s Press.
Call number: JR 920.00929 ALT
Providing overviews of various African-American achievements
through the years, this biographical catalog of individuals includes
information on at least one highly-respected female spy. Once names have been collected from other
sources, though, the biographies in this book provide detailed information on
individuals from a range of circumstances.
Ashby, R. & Ohrn, D.G. (Eds.).
(1995). Herstory: Women who changed the
world. New York, NY: Penguin Books USA Inc.
Call number: R 920.72 Her
Organized into individual biographies of women who have played
important roles in the history of women in the United States, this source
provides detailed information on each of the characters mentioned. While the only pertinent female included is a
woman who went undercover as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War, her
experience relates greatly to the efforts of female spies and provides a solid
reference to consult.
Gates, Jr., H.L. & Higginbottom,
E.B. (Eds.). (2004). African American
lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Call number: R 920.00929 AFR
Another biographical source focusing on African-American
lives in particular, this book features information on two highly-regarded
females involved in espionage efforts – both of the Civil War era. The information on the individuals is
appropriately extensive and provides a basis for the belief that women spies
were as varied in their beginnings as they are today.
Hillstrom, K. & Hillstrom, L.C.
(2000). American Civil War biographies.
Farmington Hills, MI: U.X.L.
Call number: R 973.7 HIL
Within the two volumes of this collection, there are five
extensive biographies of female spies.
Although their time frame is limited to the Civil War, the biographical
information is expansive and provides a sound background for each of the
women’s lives.
Pendergast, T. & Pendergast, S.
(2002). World War I biographies.
Farmington Hills, MI: U.X.L.
Call number: JR 940.3 PEN
Containing thirty biographies in total, this book provides
both life stories of women involved in the war effort as well as an overview of
women in espionage. It is a good source
for understanding the motivations and actions of female spies during World War
I (important because the incentives for involvement changed from one war to the
next).
Saari, P. (Ed.). (1996). Prominent women of the 20th
century. Farmington Hills, MI: U.X.L.
Call number: R 920.72 PRO
A four volume collection of biographical essays on important
women of the 1900s, this source serves as a more modern examination of women
involved in intelligence operations.
Names should be known prior to searching as the biographies are
organized by name, but the information on the women included is broad.
Schmittroth, L. & Rosteck,
M.K. (2000). American Revolution
biographies. Farmington Hills, MI: U.X.L.
Call number: JR 973.3 AME
A two volume collection, the first volume contains at least
one detailed biography of a female revolutionary spy. More may be discovered upon further
investigation or names collected from other sources, but the information
included is well worth the effort of reading it.
Containing maps as well as facts,
dates, and statistics, geographical sources are best used after ready reference
materials which provide the places and events to research. While atlases are not relevant sources for
all research topics, many focuses can be expanded by obtaining an understanding
of the areas in which events occur. Also,
geographical sources that focus on one historical time period tend to contain
more general facts about that era as they have a distinct focus.
Woodworth,
S.E. & Winkle, K.J. (2004). Atlas of
the Civil War. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Call number: R 973.7 WOO
Although the maps and information contained in this
book are not exactly related to the topic, the diagrams of various battles and
major locations provide a context to the facts found in other sources on female
Civil War espionage efforts. It is
therefore an atlas to be used after further research has been completed.
Published or orchestrated by the
United States government, government documents and sources are particularly
resourceful for finding facts on both current affairs as well as the official
perspective on historical occurrences.
While they are not overly academic, the compilations of directory information
in particular can be useful in finding facts about the state of the government
and its modern-day offices.
Office of the Federal Register. (2008).
The United States government manual
2008-2009. Washinton, DC: National Archives and Records Administration.
Call number: R 353 UNI
The most current of the print sources listed here, the
government manual provides detailed information on the modern intelligence
agencies, including the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the Central Intelligence Agency. The
text includes a brief synopsis of the agencies as well as information on the
current officials. It is not a book that
will help with the topic of the history of women in espionage, but it provides
a glimpse at the results of the work completed by past women.
The following databases provide a
wealth of information through full-text articles that display at the command of
a variety of subject headings/search terms.
While each requires the user to be a holder of an Orange County Library
System library card, access can be attained from home or the library’s public
computers. Featuring both current and
archived articles, each of the databases contains a multitude of information
that is often the most focused part of the research process given that articles
can be more specific than reference books presenting multiple focus
points. The articles found through
databases should be read carefully for content, though, and proven to be from
appropriate journals, magazines, or newspapers.
A database providing biographies on 340,000
individuals ranging from the ancient world to present day, this resource is a
great tool to use once specific names have been found from more generalized
research. Run by Gale Group, the
database presents a combination of 432,000 biographies and 538,000 full-text
articles to provide a uniquely large expanse of biographical information.
Presented
by Infotrac, this database covers topics ranging from the arts to the
sciences. While there is no specific
focus, the range of full-text scholarly articles from journals, magazines, and
newspapers is comprehensive and the results that come up from the topic at hand
are plentiful.
Covering
a wide range of general interest topics, this Infotrac database provides full-text
access to millions of articles and images.
Various search terms within the topic of females in espionage yield a
multitude of results and the problem is not finding information, but rather
ensuring that the information found is valid.
Updated daily, this database consistently provides a new dimension to
the research process.
Although this
Infotrac database is intended for students ranging from kindergarten to high
school, the information contained within it is applicable and pertinent to the
topic at hand. Providing access to
abstracts and full-text articles from magazines, newspapers, and reference
books, the inclusion of history resources supplies relevance and this database
could serve as a basic starting point for the research (though for search terms
the encyclopedias and ready reference materials may still be preferable).
Pathfinder created by Kirsten
Russell, Graduate Student
School of Library and Information
Science, University of South Florida
Basic Information Sources and
Services (LIS 6603-731)
Fall 2008; Last updated December
1, 2008
Please send questions or comments
to kkrusse2@mail.usf.edu