The Nineteenth Amendment: Women's Right to Vote

VOYA - Joyce Yen

Just how did women gain the right to vote? This text, in The Constitution series, gives an overview of the women's suffrage movement and frames the movement in the context of the history of American democracy. The book takes readers through the history of the movement from the time of the Continental Congress through the Civil War era to the day of women suffrage groups. Many personal statements and document excerpts are included in the text, giving the book a more anecdotal feel. The author profiles some of the less well-known women in the movement, such as Laura Ellsworth Seiler, who was a public speaker for the movement, and Clara Ueland, who became the president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association. This book will be particularly helpful as an introductory reference on the women's suffrage movement. While suitable for students in middle school, the book is too elementary for students beyond eighth or ninth grade. However, older students looking for the names of people involved in the movement or looking for a quick outline of the movement might still find this book helpful. Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA Codes: 3Q 2P M (Readable without serious defects, For the YA with a special interest in the subject, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8).

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9Two average entries in a crowded field. While the format is attractive, the black-and-white photos and illustrations, particularly in The First Amendment, add little information to the presentation. Farish's text consists largely of short descriptions of the cases that have defined these essential freedoms and scenarios designed to provoke thought or discussion. This approach does not allow for much historical or constitutional background, and students are likely to get lost as the text skips from topic to topic often without adequate transitions. Nat Hentoff's The First Freedom (Delacorte, 1980; o.p.) remains a more complete and better organized examination of both the amendment and the issues surrounding it. Monroe details the women's suffrage struggle with an emphasis on the legal and constitutional processes necessary to gain ratification. She provides considerable background about both constitutional history and the people who led the fight, and also explains the impact of the vote on women's societal roles and social conditions. Marlene Brill's Let Women Vote! (Millbrook, 1995) covers much of the same material in a similar manner. Both books devote over 20 pages to the full text of the U.S. Constitution. Serviceable additions.Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO