Women - Regional Studies, United States Studies, Feminism, United States History - General & Miscellaneous, Women's History, Historical Reference, Regional Studies

American Women's History

Name: American Women's History
Author: Weatherford
ISBN: 9780671850098

by Weatherford

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Overview

More and more, the traditional interpretation of American history is being questioned - and women are demanding a more equitable portrayal of their role in the building of the country. Women have been leaders of the abolitionist and civil rights movements. They have also been instrumental in labor unions and education reform, and important contributors to the arts and sciences. American Women's History chronicles the dynamic role of women in the growth of "the land of the free." With detailed biographies, as well as thematic entries on topics such as dress reform, birth control, and the suffrage movement, this book examines women's contributions to American culture and history. From Abigail Adams' plea to writers of the Constitution to "remember the ladies" to Sojourner Truth's struggle for emancipation, readers will find stories of courage, triumph, strength, disappointment, and dogged perseverance. Nearly 700 entries document women's contributions to science, literature and the arts and provide an important missing element in the traditional teaching of American history. The many women whose work has been overlooked or forgotten are finally remembered and recognized in these pages. Among the women profiled in American Women's History are: Grace Abbott, noted for her tireless work on behalf of children and immigrants; Susan B. Anthony, the dynamic suffragist, who was instrumental in voting reform and who was arrested for casting a vote in the 1872 presidential election; Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from an American medical school; Rosa Parks, who began the Montgomery bus boycott on December 1, 1955, when she refused to relinquish her seat; singer Marian Anderson; and writer Willa Cather. The carefully researched thematic and historical entries distinguish this authoritative guide from other, purely biographical, source books. Organized in an easily accessible A-to-Z format, the book also features 50 black-and-white photographs and historica

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Editorials

Weatherford says that "the aim of this work is to provide some of the substance to fill in the background of this larger picture of [women's roles in] American history." To achieve this objective, she includes biographical sketches of a wide range of women who have contributed to American life, as well as thematic articles on such topics as abortion, settlement houses, the garment industry, the suffrage movement, prostitution, and protective legislation. Articles are arranged alphabetically with some "see" references; "see also" is indicated in the text by using small capitals. Items range in length from a few paragraphs to several pages. Biographies include birth and death dates, when known. Fifty black-and-white photographs illustrate the work The book lacks an index. Even though there are cross-references, an index is needed in a work of this scope. There are no bibliographies, although the author lists titles and dates of memoirs. She includes articles on various jobs women have held (e.g., "Nurses and Nursing", "Teachers and Teaching"); however, there is no mention of two of the most notable female-dominated professions: social work and librarianship. The author has a tendency to mention a biographee's religion where it apparently has no bearing on her accomplishments. For example, Lillian Wald's biography notes that she "grew up in a prosperous Jewish home in Rochester, New York." Wald's life as a founder of the visiting-nurse movement is certainly in direct contrast to her upbringing in a well-to-do home, but what effect did her religious background have on her work? Besides Jews, the author is usually careful to point out women of Quaker birth, and includes an article on Quaker women. The role of women in the major U.S. religious denominations is important and should have been covered in the book "American Women's History" complements "The Women's Desk Reference" (RBB Ja 15 94). The latter deals with a range of issues of interest to women, while the title under review is concerned with history. Reasonably priced, this work will be a useful tool in academic, public, and high school libraries, especially for its biographies of women that may be difficult to find elsewhere.