2025/06/10 by Andrew J. Byers · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics #Sex work and related issues
paper · doi:10.1093/dh/dhaf041
openalex publication_date 2025/06/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Eva Payne’s Empire of Purity: The History of Americans’ Global War on Prostitution is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking exploration of how US moralistic fervor shaped international policy on prostitution from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s. Payne’s work not only traces the political and cultural impact of these policies but also delves into the ideological underpinnings that drove them, offering a nuanced view of how race, gender, and imperialism intersected in the US quest for a “pure” society, especially during the period when the United States, and its military, began expanding its role abroad in the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe. Payne presents a narrative that begins with the rise of the social purity movement in the United States, which saw prostitution not merely as a vice but as a threat to national integrity and civilization itself. The book outlines how this domestic concern was internationalized, influencing foreign policy, international agreements, and colonial governance. Payne argues that this crusade was not just about moral reform but was deeply entwined with US imperial ambitions, racial attitudes, and the desire to exert cultural hegemony. Through a series of case studies, she examines how these policies played out in various global locales, from the Philippines to Europe, showing both the intended and unintended consequences of these moral campaigns.