Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment (Turning Points in History)

By Eleanor Clift

Book Overview

After seventy-two arduous years, the fate of the suffrage movement and its masterwork, the Nineteenth Amendment, rested not only on one state, Tennessee, but on the shoulders of a single man: twenty-four-year-old legislator Harry Burn. Burn had previously voted with the antisuffrage forces. If he did so again, the vote would be tied and the amendment would fall one state short of the thirty-six necessary for ratification. At the last minute, though, Harry Burn's mother convinced him to vote in favor of the suffragist, and American history was forever changed.

In this riveting account, political analyst Eleanor Clift chronicles the many thrilling twists and turns of the suffrage struggle and shows how the issues and arguments that surrounded the movement still reverberate today. Beginning with the Seneca Falls Woman's Rights Convention of 1848, Clift introduces the movement's leaders, recounts the marches and demonstrations, and profiles the opposition-antisuffragists, both men and women, who would do anything to stop women from getting the vote.

Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment mines the many rich stories buried deep within this tumultuous period of our history. Here, Clift reveals how:

Opposition came not only from men, but also from women who were afraid of losing the special protection they enjoyed as the"weaker sex." It wasn't until the United States was preparing to enter World War I to defend democracy around the world that denying women the vote became indefensible.Frail and beautiful Inez Milholland Boissevain died campaigning for suffrage and became a martyr to the movement. Her death spurred protests in front of the White House, to the embarrassment of President Wilson.The president directed the mass arrests of these peacefully picketing suffragists, and they endured miserable prison conditions that horrified the nation.Race divided the suffrage leaders. Frederick Douglass played a crucial role during the early suffrage meetings--and later was betrayed by Susan B. Anthony.Elizabeth Cady Stanton had a penchant for "bloomers" as a symbol of women's independence--a risky fashion statement that backfired.

A stirring reminder for women to never take their rights for granted, Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment profiles the brave figures who spent their lives supporting the women's movement over the course of seventy-two years.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1684422272
• ISBN13: 9781684422272
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Trade Paper Press
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Amazing Insight: Educational, Informative... and Entertaining!

I can tell you how pleased I am with this book. I know there are some people that would rate it simply based on their impression of the writer's television personality and politics, but regardless of where on stands on that, this book was impressive. I've read it, both of my daughters read it, my husband read it... and all loved it. It's some an important and untreated aspect of our history. But best of all, Ms. Clift tells the history in a lively, compelling way... I almost felt like I knew these women and lived in that time period. I highly recommend this. I'll be using it in my classroom next year. I'm a high school teacher.

BRILLIANT BOOK...BRILLIANT WOMAN

eleanor clift's latest book Founding Sisters is her best yet. it is not only informative and insightful, but also beautifully and eloquently written. i think it is important for women in this country to know our history and to honor those women who fiercely struggled, fought, and were in some cases even martyred so that our voice could someday be heard. for those who find ms. clift's book indolent and her research remiss, they should check again. if they are at all honest with themselves, they must admit that there were a lot of facts stated in this book that we (especially women) absolutely should have known, and because of our own complacent ignorance have never taken the time to explore. we need more women like eleanor clift to remind us of our history and give feminism a much needed resuscitation. this book defines the true meaning of girl power and sisterhood!

Ladies, if you can't get real, then maybe you'll not vote.

No, we all do not know that Sojourner Truth never gave that speech.

great little book

What a wonderful book, and by my favorite political commentator. I saw her on the Early Show and she made the book sound so interesting I had to run out and get it. It didn't disappoint. While maybe not as good as Ellis' Founding Brothers, it was nonetheless illuminating, engaging and enriching.How the people below can condemn it on one mistake and by one line obviously written before the book was even out, is just wrong.