Born on December 16, 1929, in Utica, New York,[1] Young studied at Oberlin College and Cornell University.

[2] In 1955 She started her teaching career at Ohio State University as an instructor.

[3] She taught at the University of Rochester from 1973 to 2000, and retired as professor emeritus.

[5] In 1961 her book Redskins, Ruffleshirts, and Rednecks: Indian Allotments in Mississippi and Alabama, 1830–1860 was published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

[6][4] She was the recipient of the American Studies Association prize for best article in the American Quarterly and the Ray Allen Billington Award from the Western History Association.