Conclusion/Further Research

Kate Mason Rowland's biases have been apparent here in the fact that she has used Early American history as well as prominent figures such as George Mason IV to justify and further her line of thinking. A line of thinking that supports the Lost Cause and wishes to rewrite history and raise the honor and courage that Rowland thinks the South should have when it attempted to secede back in 1861. Not only this, but she wishes to champion George Mason IV as this figurehead for states' rights. The goal of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was to educate the South and potentially the entire United States on the Civil War, but from a very biased perspective that contained skewed views on what the war was about. Furthermore, as mentioned by notable scholars such as the aforementioned Karen L. Cox, the UDC, and by extension, Rowland wished to champion the cause of the South. Her biography on her ancestor helped give her an outlet from which to further the UDC's agenda. However, as seen previously, not everyone was receptive to it and she was given harsh reviews when inserting her nineteenth-century mind into America's founding. Ultimately, while her biography on George Mason IV is riddled with Confederate sympathy, Rowland should still be recognized for her attempt to tell the story of America and its founding fathers especially when not many of her gender had been doing so. Rowland's biography is a testament to her agency and tenacity for attempting to preserve the past despite skewing it heavily within the South's favor. She aided in putting her ancestor closer towards the spotlight in the hopes that his true accomplishments could be celebrated. George Mason IV is an unsung founding father of America, and Rowland sought to correct that even if she had ulterior motives.

When looking at further research, there are many avenues that could continuously be explored. For example, this exhibit has not investigated Rowland's actual involvement within the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). This could paint a deeper picture of how she felt in supporting the Lost Cause and how much she truly devoted herself to it. Databases such as WorldCat can aid in providing the answer to this as it holds information on conventions and essays written by the UDC. Furthermore, this exhibit only examined one of Rowland's, though most popular, works. Rowland's other works such as The Virginia Cavaliers and The Life of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, 1737-1832. These sources aid further in the ensuing question regarding Rowland's contributions to the historical field and the creation of historical narratives. While this exhibit has explored her career and a few of her viewpoints as well as affiliation with the UDC. What of her personal life? Other sources that yet need to be viewed and analyzed are personal records. Letters that she has received and sent throughout the Civil War and even after during her career as a historian. The American Civil War also holds the diary of Kate Mason Rowland. This would answer the question of how Rowland conducted herself privately. How did she organize her thoughts? What did she truly think about the Lost Cause and the Confederacy? There is much more work to be done on Kate Mason Rowland and this exhibit has only touched upon the surface of her complexities.