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In preparing this work, our object has been to put into permanent shape the few scattered reports of the Woman Suffrage Movement still to be found, and to make it an arsenal of facts for those who are beginning to inquire into the demands and arguments of the leaders of this reform. Although the continued discussion of the political rights of woman during the last thirty years, forms a most important link in the chain of influences tending to her emancipation, no attempt at its history has been made. In giving the inception and progress of this agitation, we who have undertaken the task have been moved by the consideration that many of oar co-workers have already fallen asleep, and that in a few years all who could tell the story will have passed away.
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An account of the feminist movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries focusing on Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. ... Read more

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The Long Arduous Struggle For A Woman's Right To Vote
March Is Woman's History Month

One of the few historically interesting anecdotes that came our of last year's Democratic Party nomination process during the America presidential election campaign that pitted both the first serious black, Barack Obama, and woman, Hillary Clinton,candidates for that office was the rounding up ofa number of very elderly women who were the beneficiaries of the successful struggle for the woman's right to vote by the Clinton campaign to be used as symbol of the need to go that next step and elect a woman president. The historic symbolism of those gestures brought into sharp relief the very long, arduous struggling for the right of women to vote. Equally, it brought into relief the sometimes frictional nature of the two constituencies represented by the two campaigns last year in those earlier days of struggle for increasing the democratic franchise beyond that of then narrow one of white male property owners and their hangers-on.

That tension is the subject, or rather one of the subjects, of this very readable narrative history of the movement that uses the organizing efforts culminating in the famous Seneca Falls Woman's Right Convention in 1848 as its central focus. Moreover, today at a time when there is something of a lull in the current "third wave" women's movement about where it should head and what issues it should fight arounda quick read of the past, its struggles, its controversies and its victories seems in order as we commemorate Woman' History Month. A number of books that I review, and the present volume is one such example, concerning important issues for political leftists are older ones.I again provide the caveat that this book is a place to begin and reflects the knowledge and understandings of thirty years ago in the heat of the "second wave" women's movement. It is nevertheless a place to start.

It may seem unbelievable today, and probably even the most hidebound male chauvinist, that in the early part of the 19th century here is the democratic citadel of America that not only were the overwhelming majority of blacks disenfranchised but that was also the case with women. The well-known plight of most blacks as slaves, male and female, reduced them to chattel property with no rights that "a white man need respect." What is not so well-known is that as to property rights, access to the courts, education and most conditions of life the women of America had no rights that "a white male need respect". The struggle to turn this condition of servitude around is quite well detailed in Ms. Gurko's study.

In the early 19th century the role of women in politics, if any, was as an adjunct to men's interests. This was a period, particularly in the "Age of Jackson" when there were a plethora of reform movements led by men. Women centrally concerned themselves with the religious revival, temperance or anti-slavery agitation. The question of women's rights, as it emerged and became a separate issue strangely enough was, at least formally, initially led by men. Thus when the likes Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a couple of the well-studied and quoted heroines of this book, started their efforts those were in a subordinate role to men. The most striking aspect of this role, at least to this reviewer's eyes, was that the first feeble efforts at organizing woman's rights meetings had men as chairmen. By the time of Seneca Falls the `ladies' had gotten the hang of running their own meetings.Thanks, Elizabeth and friends.

Ms. Gurko has concentrated on two main themes in her study. First, a wide- ranging detailed look at the personalities who dominated the early days of the "first wave " of the woman's rights movement. She, thus, gives thorough and thoughtful snapshot biographic sketches of the above-mentioned Mott and Stanton. Needless to say she has words to say about the very pivotal figure of Mary Wollstonecraft as the 18th century forerunner of such efforts, as well. As the story unfold the towering figure of Susan B.Anthony and that of Lucy Stone come forth. Lesser time is spend acknowledging the pioneering efforts of the Grimke sisters, Margaret Fuller and other more episodic figures like Amelia Bloomer and the `notorious' Victoria Woodhull (who has the distinction of being the first woman candidate for president in 1872). Very little attention is paid to later figures who took up the final struggle to get the 19th Amendment passed, ratified and enacted in 1920. That is, in any case, seemingly was left for another author.

Her second theme centers on an analysis of the various strategies, issues, organizing methods and goals that the woman's rights movement fought fight around. This is the most interesting aspect of her study for it goes into some detail about the various controversies that swirled around the movement at the time. Those included such topics as the thorny one of the relationship of the woman's rights movement to the ant-slavery struggle and later to the quest for black (male) suffrage that caused one split in the movement. Whether males should or should not be excluded from the movement, for another... Whether there should be a one issue campaign on woman's suffrage or a whole range of issues of property rights, divorce, education and other forms of advancement that caused another split. Whether woman should `take to the streets' to win their program or depend on strictly parliamentary methods. Whether and in what way propaganda tools like newspapers, meeting and other actions should be undertaken. And, finally, whether and in what form alliances with other formations should be undertaken. (I am thinking here of the alliance with Frances Willard's Woman's Christian Temperance Union, WCTU, and other types of socially conservative organizations).

I have taken some pains to list the questions posed by the "first wave" of the women's movement in the 19th century because, in a general way, those political issues confronted the "second wave" women's movement of the late 1960's and early 1970's as well. To put the question politically, in short hand, the question of which way for the woman's movement-radical reconstruction or piecemeal reforms?Sound familiar? Questions of social reform take life of their own that apparently goes beyond time and place. One ironic (from today's perspective) series of anecdotesthat kept coming up in the book was the question of the correct deportment of women in those days, from the question of `proper' dress to whether they should speak in public or travel alone and the like. While those are not, or should not, be issues today those whostruggled in the "second wave" or are today struggling through the "third wave" should run through this little book to get a sense of history, woman's history of political struggle.

Ladies of Seneca Falls
This was an excellent historical account of the early phase of the women's rights movement It provides the background of several of the woman viewed as leaders of the women's movement.It provides a perspective andoffers details which other accounts fail to provide. The struggles of the women who were at the forefront of the women's movement in its early years is lucidly presented.It is a well written account and added substantially to my knowledge of the early phases of the movement.I highly recommend the book.

Great read; great reminder
Our (usually fiction-reading) book club read this in October, 2004.I avoided starting it for a long time, but as soon as I got past the first chapter, I couldn't put it down.It was amazingly well-written with wonderful stories of the women who only earned a passing mention in our 7th-grade history books.This book made me see how many dedicated and strong women were needed to make a basic change in American culture and made each member appreciate her right to vote so much more in the November 2004 election.

Slow scattered start, builds in confidence and writing style
An overview of the women's suffrage movement in the United States during the 18th. Century.This was a time when the legislature of Tennessee declared that women could not own property since they had no souls.In the few states where a women could own property, she had no voice over its taxation, a complaint the Founding Fathers had against the English crown.The book begins with a series of sketchy biographies, and then tells the tale very ably.If you know little of the American suffrage movement two centuries ago, this is a good primer.Truly makes you respect Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, giants in the quest for freedom for all.The irony of newly freed black male slaves, totally unbooked, refusing to be taught by an educated person because they were female and therefore beneath them, was an interesting cocktail of prejudice.Even the great Even Frederick Douglass spoke about his concern that black male suffrage should proceed a woman's...either white or black.Susan B. Anthony thought that equal meant just that, equal rights for both women, blacks, and the white males.

"Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform.Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences."-Susan B. Anthony, 1860.

An essential reference
A thorough, easily-read, fascinating book about the early American Women's Rights movement.I have read many books on this subject, and rate this as one of the highest in objectivity and appeal.Especially good as aspringboard for those not already familar with the subject. Brush up onyour HERstory! ... Read more

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Chronicles the struggle of American women for the right to vote, from 1800 to their victory in 1920. Includes quotations from contemporary witnesses through memoirs, letters, and other documents of the period. ... Read more

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In demanding equal rights and the vote for women, woman suffragists introduced liberal feminist dissent into an emerging national movement against absolute power in the forms of patriarchy, church administrations, slavery, and false dogmas.

In their struggle, these women developed three types of liberal arguments, each predominant during a different phase of the movement. The feminism of equal rights, which called for freedom through equality, emerged during the Jacksonian era to counter those opposed to women's public participation in antislavery reform. The feminism of fear, the defense of women's right to live free from fear of violent injury or death perpetrated particularly by drunken men, flourished after the Civil War. And in the early 1900s, the feminism of personal development called for women's freedom through opportunities to become full persons.

The practical need to blend concepts in order to justify and achieve goals created many contradictions in the suffragists' ideologies. By putting suffrage first, these women introduced radical goals, but as a politically powerless group, they could not win the vote without appeals and bargains that men considered acceptable. Ironically, American woman suffragists used illiberal ideals and arguments to sustain the quest for the most fundamental liberal feminist citizenship goal: the vote.

In this book, Suzanne Marilley reframes the debate on this important topic in a fresh, provocative, and persuasive style.

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Interesting theories and new scholarship
An interesting thesis with good support well presented.Those who disagree with Marilley's thesis about the importance of various arguments in the woman suffrage movement will have a solid work to spar against.The book is an especial gem for those interested in the history of the woman suffrage movement in Colorado or mining camps generally;the thoroughness of her scholarship is an improvement from what was available before in Beverly Beeton's groundbreaking work. ... Read more

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2009 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) was not only one of the most important leaders of the nineteenth century women’s rights movement but was also the movement’s principal philosopher. Her ideas both drew from and challenged the conventions that so severely constrained women’s choices and excluded them from public life.

In The Political Thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sue Davis argues that Cady Stanton’s work reflects the rich tapestry of American political culture in the second half of the nineteenth century and that she deserves recognition as a major figure in the history of political ideas. Davis reveals the way that Cady Stanton’s work drew from different political traditions ranging from liberalism, republicanism, inegalitarian ascriptivism, and radicalism. Cady Stanton’s arguments for women’s rights combined approaches that in contemporary feminist theory are perceived to involve conflicting strategies and visions. Nevertheless, her ideas had a major impact on the development of the varieties of feminism in the twentieth century.

Thoroughly researched and engagingly written, The Political Thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton draws on a wide variety of primary and secondary sources and promises to fill a gap in the literature on the history of political ideas in the United States as well as women’s history and feminist theory.

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A biography of the first female judge in the United States tells the remarkable tale of how, back in 1869, she fought for a women's right to vote and she believed that a woman could hold a public office.
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Here's a story everyone needs to know about
I am so glad this book was written.This is an important part of American history that all of us should know.Esther Morris went west and became part of the movement in Wyoming Territory to win women the right to vote and hold office. Then, to help solidify their position, she applied for and became a Justice of the Peace.She held this position until the next election.The book is more about the suffrage movement and its early beginnings in the American West than it is about Esther Morris' life. But, it's information I didn't know and now, would like to know more about.This will be a good book to read to students and a good lead-in to research more about this interesting topic.I like the illlustrations which enhanced the story. ... Read more

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Women's Suffrage Literature is a new Major Work from Routledge and Edition Synapse. It makes available in facsimile key texts which represent the wealth of creative writing that emerged around the issue of women’s suffrage in the early twentieth century. The collection includes five significant novels, a wide range of drama and representative short stories. Selected in order to illustrate the diversity of concerns and positions with the campaign for women's suffrage, the texts also reflect the different literary models adopted. They cover a range of key moments within and after the campaign for the vote, revealing changes in perspective and tactics between 1907 and 1924. The selected texts problematize categories such as pro- and anti-suffrage writing, reveal the complex relationship between definitions of a 'feminist' and a 'suffrage' text and raise questions about critical approaches to such politicized writings.

The collection is organized so as to provide some historical coverage of this key period; to allow comparative analysis of different genres; and to demonstrate the variety of concerns and discourses which defined this campaign. It has been edited by a team of academics with long experience of researching and teaching in the field of women's suffrage.

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Under what conditions are political elites responsive to social movements, and when do social movements gain access to political elites? This book explores this question with regard to the women's movement in the US, asking under what conditions are Congress and the presidency responsive to the women's movement, and when will the women's movement gain access to Congress and the presidency?
The book systematically compares the relation between political leaders and each of the three waves of the women's movement, 1848-1889, 1890-1928, and 1960-1985, in light of the political dynamics that each wave faced. The author utilizes perspectives and methods from the fields of Political Science, Sociology, and History to illustrate the ways in which changing political dynamics impacted the battle for both women's suffrage and the Equal Rights Amendment.
A significant addition to the study of women's history and American studies, Political Women illlustrates the important roles that political leaders played in the battle for women's suffrage and the ERA and demonstrates the political savvy among women suffrage activists who recognized the institutional barriers present in the US political system and fought to overcome them. ... Read more

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France is the home of the Declaration of the Rights of Man, yet women did not vote until 1945, many years later than their peers in other countries. In a country where civil rights had long been a rallying cry, women were not second-class citizens--they were not citizens at all. In this fascinating and ground-breaking study, Paul Smith assesses why Frenchwomen were repeatedly refused the rights of citizenship and examines the political relationships established by French feminists in order to achieve their goal: one woman, one vote. ... Read more

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Follows the efforts of American women who fought for a women's right to vote and the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution. ... Read more

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Through a study of the language and ideas of male suffragists,The Men's Share offers new insights masculine identities and concepts of masculinity. Drawing on a wide range of sources such as newspapers, diaries, letters and speeches, The Men's Share offers new insights into the women's suffrage movement in Britain. It demonstrates that male support for the women's suffrage movement was both extensive and diverse and also highlights the equivocal nature of much of this support and the reluctance of many male activists to challenge their own masculinity. ... Read more

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General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1911Original Publisher: G.P. Putnam's sonsSubjects: WomenPolitical Science / Political Freedom ... Read more

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Women's rights
The issue of women's rights conistently arises in modern society, especially in the developed world.This book provides good reason for the prominence of this issue, mainly, that the precursors of the present developed world had a history of mistreating women or denying them of basic rights.In this area, the book is thoroughly referenced.

Unfortunately though, many of the references are difficult to follow.

The author also betrays a bias towards the Roman heritage and the position of women in the Roman Empire.

The author makes one unreferenced and unsubstantiated comment about women in Islam.This author's clearly wrong understanding of this issue detracts from an otherwise important historical resource. ... Read more

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The image of middle-class women chaining themselves to the rails of 10 Downing Street, smashing windows of public buildings, and going on hunger strikes in the cause of "votes for women" have become visually synonymous with the British suffragette movement over the past century.Their story has become a defining moment in feminist history, in effect separating women's fight for voting rights from contemporary issues in British political history and disconnecting their militancy from other forms of political activism in Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Drawing upon private papers, pamphlets, newspapers, and the records of a range of suffrage and political organizations, Laura E. Nym Mayhall examines militancy as both a political idea and a set of practices that suffragettes employed to challenge their exclusion from the political nation.She traces the development of the suffragettes' concept of resistance from its origins within radical liberal discourse in the 1860s, to its emergence as political practice during Britain's involvement in the South African War, its reliance on dramatic spectacle by suffragette organizations, and its memorialization following enfranchisement. She reads closely the language and tactics militants used, analyzing their challenges in the courtroom, on the street, and through legislation as reasoned actions of female citizens.The differences in strategy among militants are highlighted, not just in the use of violence, but also in their acceptance and rejection of the authority of the law and their definitions of the ideal relationship between individuals and the state.Variations in the nature of protest continued even during World War I, when most suffragettes suspended their activities to serve the nation's war effort, while others joined peace movements, opposed the state's reduction of civil liberties in wartime, and continued the struggle for suffrage.
Mayhall's revealing account of the militant suffrage movement sheds new light upon the social history of gender but, more importantly, it connects this movement to the political and intellectual history of Britain.Not only did militancy play an essential role in the achievement of women's political rights but it also contributed to the practice of engaged citizenship and the growth of liberal democracy. ... Read more

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This engrossing book investigates how the woman suffrage movement achieved its goal by forging a highly organized and centrally controlled interest group, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), one of the most effective single-issue pressure groups in the United States. ... Read more