This is a study examining the rhetoric of newspaper articles published in the South between 1851 to 1865. It aims to shed light on the upsurge and setback of feminism triggered by the American Civil War, and goes on to examine the differentiation between a defunct, traditional standard of women that was idealistic and assumed by men, and a new standard that reflects a more realistic portrait of women that is separate from man's expectations and ideals. This argument is developed by scrutinizing the rhetoric and implications of the resources with historical reference. The essay is in Chicago style format and was crafted for a class conducted on The Old South.