Colorado Women: A History

by Gail M. Beaton

Colorado Women is the first full-length chronicle of the lives, roles, and contributions of women in Colorado from prehistory through the modern day. A national leader in women's rights, Colorado was one of the first states to approve suffrage and the first to elect a woman to its legislature. Nevertheless, only a small fraction of the literature on Colorado history is devoted to women and, of those, most focus on well-known individuals. 

The experiences of Colorado women differed greatly across economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. Marital status, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation colored their worlds and others' perceptions and expectations of them. Each chapter addresses the everyday lives of women in a certain period, placing them in historical context, and is followed by vignettes on women's organizations and notable individuals of the time.

 

Native American, Hispanic, African American, Asian and Anglo women's stories hail from across the state--from the Eastern Plains to the Front Range to the Western Slope--and in their telling a more complete history of Colorado emerges. Colorado Women makes a significant contribution to the discussion of women's presence in Colorado that will be of interest to historians, students, and the general reader interested in Colorado, women's and western history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

398 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2012

Reviews

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information; the sheer number of names and dates all in the same paragraphs gets overwhelming, though.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but it just didn't come close to meting them. The author has done a lot of research but the writing is not good. In one paragraph she can go from one subject to another and then another with no connection between any of them. There are factual mistakes. It just doesn't flow well. The author often will mention a little bit about a particular person in one place, then a little bit in another, and still another, without ever giving a full picture of the person.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Chapters are divided by Eras of time, so you may see certain women mentioned throughout the book as Colorado history continues to progress. I appreciated the inclusiveness and not holding back on how certain historic figures really acted. Also liked that all classes, levels of jobs and responsibilities were recognized. A very well rounded book.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts are good. Does jump around a little so hard to keep track of who she was talking about. Lots of fascinating Colorado women some I knew and some new ones