The 'White Slavery' Panic: A Lecture That Shocked the Tri-Cities
In April 1914, a visiting reverend used sensationalized rhetoric to warn Kennewick residents about the dangers of moral corruption, reflecting the era's intense anxiety over women's safety and autonomy.
Rev. G. A. Tyler of Prosser came down Tuesday noon to give an illustrated lecture on "White Slavery," according to the Finley Mines correspondence. The page gives no further account of the lecture's content, audience, or reception.
The term 'white slavery' was a period-specific euphemism for the forced prostitution or trafficking of women, often fueled by moral panic rather than statistical reality. This event highlights how early 20th-century communities grappled with gendered violence and public morality through the lens of sensationalist lectures, a stark contrast to modern discussions on human trafficking which rely on forensic evidence and survivor advocacy.
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