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The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite History & Biography (2018)The nail-biting climax of one of the greatest political victories in American history: the down and dirty campaign to get the last state to ratify the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote.
Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, twelve have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state is needed. It all comes down to Tennessee, the moment of truth for the suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade. The opposing forces include politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and a lot of racists who don't want black women voting. And then there are the 'Antis'--women who oppose their own enfranchisement, fearing suffrage will bring about the moral collapse of the nation. They all converge in a boiling hot summer for a vicious face-off replete with dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel's, and the Bible.
Following a handful of remarkable women who led their respective forces into battle, along with appearances by Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Woman's Hour is an inspiring story of activists winning their own freedom in one of the last campaigns forged in the shadow of the Civil War, and the beginning of the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights.
Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, twelve have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state is needed. It all comes down to Tennessee, the moment of truth for the suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade. The opposing forces include politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and a lot of racists who don't want black women voting. And then there are the 'Antis'--women who oppose their own enfranchisement, fearing suffrage will bring about the moral collapse of the nation. They all converge in a boiling hot summer for a vicious face-off replete with dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel's, and the Bible.
Following a handful of remarkable women who led their respective forces into battle, along with appearances by Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Woman's Hour is an inspiring story of activists winning their own freedom in one of the last campaigns forged in the shadow of the Civil War, and the beginning of the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights.
Audiobook
First published March 6, 2018
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About the author
Elaine F. Weiss
3 books91 followersElaine F. Weiss is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and on National Public Radio. She is a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 895 reviews
February 22, 2019
After thinking about this book overnight, I've changed my rating to five stars. When an author can take a book, where we already know the outcome, but can make it not only interesting, but thrilling and heartfelt, it can Garner no less. Plus, I listened to this and the narrator Tania Gilbert was brilliant as well.
A book I truly believe every women should read. They will come away with a deep appreciation to the effort and pain that went into our having the right to vote. Yes, there are many names within, hard to keep track of, but you will come to know the key motivators quite well. These women were indefatigable in their fight, many were jailed, force fed and made to endure other indignities. Some were I'll, with underlying conditions, and yet on they fought.
I was surprised by the amount of women who were anti suffragettes, found their reasons interesting, even somewhat credible, looking back on it from today. But, it is clear the right to vote is a privilege and one hard earned, and should not be neglected with mundane excuses. According to the other since the eighties, more women than men have excercisd this right, and I can only hope that this continues and multiplies.
I learned so much history from this book, and at times, such as when Katt goes to the White House to thank President Wilson for his support, and finds after his stroke, a wreck of a man, I actually got teary eyed. Despite this being non fiction, I found this to be a very emotional book. What an admirable struggle, the rights for women, which still today, has a way to go.
A book I truly believe every women should read. They will come away with a deep appreciation to the effort and pain that went into our having the right to vote. Yes, there are many names within, hard to keep track of, but you will come to know the key motivators quite well. These women were indefatigable in their fight, many were jailed, force fed and made to endure other indignities. Some were I'll, with underlying conditions, and yet on they fought.
I was surprised by the amount of women who were anti suffragettes, found their reasons interesting, even somewhat credible, looking back on it from today. But, it is clear the right to vote is a privilege and one hard earned, and should not be neglected with mundane excuses. According to the other since the eighties, more women than men have excercisd this right, and I can only hope that this continues and multiplies.
I learned so much history from this book, and at times, such as when Katt goes to the White House to thank President Wilson for his support, and finds after his stroke, a wreck of a man, I actually got teary eyed. Despite this being non fiction, I found this to be a very emotional book. What an admirable struggle, the rights for women, which still today, has a way to go.
February 18, 2019
Being a history enthusiast and coming from a maternal line of political junkies, the dates 1848 and 1920 were entrenched in my brain from an early age. The years that American women first organized at Seneca Falls, New York and then won the right to vote seventy years later are milestone events in United States history. My grandmother liked to remind me that she never missed a trip to the ballot box in her life from the time she was an eligible voter. Yet, women’s enfranchisement was not an foregone conclusion by any means, as a thirty sixth state was needed to win ratification to the Constitution. The battle that had been brewing since the nation’s inception came down to the Volunteer State of Tennessee. As the United States nears the one hundredth anniversary of women’s suffrage, Elaine F. Weiss pays homage to the suffragists and their opponents the antis in The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote. Weiss takes readers back to Nashville, Tennessee in 1920 as the battle for women’s suffrage reached an epic conclusion.
In 1872, young Carrie Lane woke up on Election Day and witnessed her father and the family’s farm hands leave to go vote. Her mother, an educated woman, was not journeying with the adults, and Carrie asked why not. The farm hands, mostly illiterate, snickered; only men were allowed to vote even if many college educated women knew more about current events than they did. This was the law of the land, that only men could vote, and the incident triggered a spark in Carrie Lane that would last the rest of her life. Nearly fifty years later, Carrie Chapman Catt had devoted her entire life to enfranchising women to vote. After attending a rally for suffrage as a young adult, Catt had the pleasure of meeting Susan B. Anthony, founder of the movement along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848. Catt joined the ranks of Aunt Susan’s Girls and the fledgling National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) as the women would use any means necessary to achieve full American citizenship through voting.
A movement is considered successful if it swells in ranks and splinters into multiple groups that differ in ideology yet have the end goal of achieving the same dream. This occurred in 1908 with the women’s movement when Alice Paul broke ranks and founded the National Women’s Party (NWP). While the women of NAWSA practiced nonviolence after seeing how abolitionists lead by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison achieved an end to slavery and gained black men’s voting, the women of the NWP used a model practiced by English suffragists lead by Emmeline Pankhurst. Pankhurst would use any means necessary to achieve suffrage, and Paul followed her lead, holding rallies at the White House and burning the President’s likeness in effigy. Many of her members saw jail time, earned Prison Pins, and traveled the country on the Jail-time Special to canvass for suffrage.
Not all women believed that their sisters should vote, especially in the south. The Anti movement lead by Josephine Pearson in a promise to her mother Amanda at the core believed that giving women suffrage would lead to the breakdown of the American family. With women working outside of the home and gaining key positions in government, they would no longer be homemakers and child rearers; even prominent women Eleanor Roosevelt and Ida Tarbell believed in the cause. In essence, society would be on the verge of collapse. That this took place after fighting to defeat bolshevism in the Great War and the winning of women’s suffrage in many European nations is telling. Additionally southern whites saw the women’s voting as allowing Negro women the right to vote. Already Negro men could vote and their combined numbers were sure to overturn white supremacy in the south. With each group, the Suffragists and Antis having strong arguments as to why or why not women should be allowed to vote, hundreds of women converged on Nashville, Tennessee’s Hermitage Hotel in August 1920 as the battle for women’s suffrage reached its epic conclusion.
Even though women have now been voting for nearly one hundred years, Weiss’ account of the battle for Tennessee to ratify women’s suffrage read like a thriller. As Catt foresaw, the battle for women to vote would be fought by men. Both the Suffragists and the Antis recruited the women of Tennessee to be on their side of the battle, and these women were in charge of canvassing the state to convince law makers of both parties to be on their side. People of both sides and genders stooped to the usual political tactics of blackmail, bribery, carousing, and the promise of future political appointments. One could tell if a law maker sided with the Suffragists or Antis by the yellow or red rose that he placed in his lapel. On a few occasions, meetings with key women on both sides, saw lawmakers switch their allegiance from yes to no and back again. In the steamy pre air conditioned environment of 1920 Nashville, a few courageous men switched their allegiance from no to yes once and for all, and the 19th amendment won its thirty sixth state, the two-thirds majority needed for ratification. The women had their hour.
Today there is a sculpture in Nashville’s Central Park honoring the NAWSA members who won Tennessee for the Suffragists. Women voted for the first time in 1920 and have been ever since, often surpassing men’s participation at the ballot box. The Antis argument is not without merit, and the women’s movement of today includes in its ranks women who have chosen to be homemakers and stay at home moms. I can proudly say that I have stayed home to raise my kids and vote on a regular basis. Despite reading biographies about Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton from the time I was a kid, I was unfamiliar with the micro history that lead to the passage of the 1920 constitutional amendment. Elaine F Weiss has done a magnificent job of bringing these events to life and honoring the women on both sides of the fight who eventually gained votes for women. As women’s history month approaches, The Women’s Hour was a worthy read to get me inspired to celebrate women’s history month, nearly one hundred years after the great fight.
Note: This is a current read in the Nonfiction Book Club here on goodreads, and the ongoing discussion is almost as compelling as the fight to win the vote.
5 stars
In 1872, young Carrie Lane woke up on Election Day and witnessed her father and the family’s farm hands leave to go vote. Her mother, an educated woman, was not journeying with the adults, and Carrie asked why not. The farm hands, mostly illiterate, snickered; only men were allowed to vote even if many college educated women knew more about current events than they did. This was the law of the land, that only men could vote, and the incident triggered a spark in Carrie Lane that would last the rest of her life. Nearly fifty years later, Carrie Chapman Catt had devoted her entire life to enfranchising women to vote. After attending a rally for suffrage as a young adult, Catt had the pleasure of meeting Susan B. Anthony, founder of the movement along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848. Catt joined the ranks of Aunt Susan’s Girls and the fledgling National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) as the women would use any means necessary to achieve full American citizenship through voting.
A movement is considered successful if it swells in ranks and splinters into multiple groups that differ in ideology yet have the end goal of achieving the same dream. This occurred in 1908 with the women’s movement when Alice Paul broke ranks and founded the National Women’s Party (NWP). While the women of NAWSA practiced nonviolence after seeing how abolitionists lead by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison achieved an end to slavery and gained black men’s voting, the women of the NWP used a model practiced by English suffragists lead by Emmeline Pankhurst. Pankhurst would use any means necessary to achieve suffrage, and Paul followed her lead, holding rallies at the White House and burning the President’s likeness in effigy. Many of her members saw jail time, earned Prison Pins, and traveled the country on the Jail-time Special to canvass for suffrage.
Not all women believed that their sisters should vote, especially in the south. The Anti movement lead by Josephine Pearson in a promise to her mother Amanda at the core believed that giving women suffrage would lead to the breakdown of the American family. With women working outside of the home and gaining key positions in government, they would no longer be homemakers and child rearers; even prominent women Eleanor Roosevelt and Ida Tarbell believed in the cause. In essence, society would be on the verge of collapse. That this took place after fighting to defeat bolshevism in the Great War and the winning of women’s suffrage in many European nations is telling. Additionally southern whites saw the women’s voting as allowing Negro women the right to vote. Already Negro men could vote and their combined numbers were sure to overturn white supremacy in the south. With each group, the Suffragists and Antis having strong arguments as to why or why not women should be allowed to vote, hundreds of women converged on Nashville, Tennessee’s Hermitage Hotel in August 1920 as the battle for women’s suffrage reached its epic conclusion.
Even though women have now been voting for nearly one hundred years, Weiss’ account of the battle for Tennessee to ratify women’s suffrage read like a thriller. As Catt foresaw, the battle for women to vote would be fought by men. Both the Suffragists and the Antis recruited the women of Tennessee to be on their side of the battle, and these women were in charge of canvassing the state to convince law makers of both parties to be on their side. People of both sides and genders stooped to the usual political tactics of blackmail, bribery, carousing, and the promise of future political appointments. One could tell if a law maker sided with the Suffragists or Antis by the yellow or red rose that he placed in his lapel. On a few occasions, meetings with key women on both sides, saw lawmakers switch their allegiance from yes to no and back again. In the steamy pre air conditioned environment of 1920 Nashville, a few courageous men switched their allegiance from no to yes once and for all, and the 19th amendment won its thirty sixth state, the two-thirds majority needed for ratification. The women had their hour.
Today there is a sculpture in Nashville’s Central Park honoring the NAWSA members who won Tennessee for the Suffragists. Women voted for the first time in 1920 and have been ever since, often surpassing men’s participation at the ballot box. The Antis argument is not without merit, and the women’s movement of today includes in its ranks women who have chosen to be homemakers and stay at home moms. I can proudly say that I have stayed home to raise my kids and vote on a regular basis. Despite reading biographies about Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton from the time I was a kid, I was unfamiliar with the micro history that lead to the passage of the 1920 constitutional amendment. Elaine F Weiss has done a magnificent job of bringing these events to life and honoring the women on both sides of the fight who eventually gained votes for women. As women’s history month approaches, The Women’s Hour was a worthy read to get me inspired to celebrate women’s history month, nearly one hundred years after the great fight.
Note: This is a current read in the Nonfiction Book Club here on goodreads, and the ongoing discussion is almost as compelling as the fight to win the vote.
5 stars
March 14, 2019
Audiobook.. read by Elaine Weiss, and Tavia Gilbert
Joining the spirit of women’s history month... I chose this book. Thank you to my friends who read it before me -
Diane’s review.... saying she believed “all women should read this book”, inspired me. I’m sure glad I did!!
I’d add ‘all men’ should read this too.
Amen to Women’s Rights!!!
This book is educationally-fascinating....and energetically thrilling!
Nashville,Tennessee....August, 1920... the most important vote all came down to Tennessee. They were the last state needed to approve the the 19th Federal Amendment.
Elaine Weiss gives us an in-depth history lesson of what exactly happened... during an intense six week period - focusing on women’s activism and advocacy.
It was riveting to follow the line of thoughts between ‘women’ who were ‘against’ women’s right to vote.
Suffragists and Opponents (called Antis), - both sides - ran a ‘dirty’ campaign filled with lies, betrayal, bigotry, and more lies.....using racism and corporate funds for their fight.....
all trying to sway legislators on their side.
The key players we follow are:
.....Carrie Chapman Catt,...
leader of the suffrage cause was only 30 years
old.
.....Josephine Pearson...opposed the suffrage. She was doing “God’s will”, being a dutiful loyal wife and mother.
.....Sue White, “Lady Warrior”... was well respected for her fairness by both women and men.
The final push for women’s right to vote - ratification of the 19th amendment- looks back on 71 years examining the unfolding conflicts...reads like a political thriller....
salutes the female leaders who in the face of political, racial, and economic opposition- fought for and won American women’s right to vote.
Excellent research....
Skillful entertaining writing made this educational walk back in time...feel as if we were there. Highly imagined!
.... and terrific as an Audiobook.
“The Woman’s Hour”
caught the excitement from
Hilary Clinton and Steve Spielberg —
Great collaboration team to bring to the small screen!
Learning the details of this history- the years and years of hard work - down to those final six weeks - experiencing the celebration as if this just happened...was truly exciting!
Given our own perilous times ... “The Woman’s Hour”, is an inspiration for everyone - men - women - old - and young!
“The crusade for women suffrage stands as one of the defining civil rights movement in the history of our country, and its organizing strategies, lobbying techniques, and nonviolent protest actions became the model for civil rights campaigns to follow in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries”.
Joining the spirit of women’s history month... I chose this book. Thank you to my friends who read it before me -
Diane’s review.... saying she believed “all women should read this book”, inspired me. I’m sure glad I did!!
I’d add ‘all men’ should read this too.
Amen to Women’s Rights!!!
This book is educationally-fascinating....and energetically thrilling!
Nashville,Tennessee....August, 1920... the most important vote all came down to Tennessee. They were the last state needed to approve the the 19th Federal Amendment.
Elaine Weiss gives us an in-depth history lesson of what exactly happened... during an intense six week period - focusing on women’s activism and advocacy.
It was riveting to follow the line of thoughts between ‘women’ who were ‘against’ women’s right to vote.
Suffragists and Opponents (called Antis), - both sides - ran a ‘dirty’ campaign filled with lies, betrayal, bigotry, and more lies.....using racism and corporate funds for their fight.....
all trying to sway legislators on their side.
The key players we follow are:
.....Carrie Chapman Catt,...
leader of the suffrage cause was only 30 years
old.
.....Josephine Pearson...opposed the suffrage. She was doing “God’s will”, being a dutiful loyal wife and mother.
.....Sue White, “Lady Warrior”... was well respected for her fairness by both women and men.
The final push for women’s right to vote - ratification of the 19th amendment- looks back on 71 years examining the unfolding conflicts...reads like a political thriller....
salutes the female leaders who in the face of political, racial, and economic opposition- fought for and won American women’s right to vote.
Excellent research....
Skillful entertaining writing made this educational walk back in time...feel as if we were there. Highly imagined!
.... and terrific as an Audiobook.
“The Woman’s Hour”
caught the excitement from
Hilary Clinton and Steve Spielberg —
Great collaboration team to bring to the small screen!
Learning the details of this history- the years and years of hard work - down to those final six weeks - experiencing the celebration as if this just happened...was truly exciting!
Given our own perilous times ... “The Woman’s Hour”, is an inspiration for everyone - men - women - old - and young!
“The crusade for women suffrage stands as one of the defining civil rights movement in the history of our country, and its organizing strategies, lobbying techniques, and nonviolent protest actions became the model for civil rights campaigns to follow in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries”.
March 16, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine F. Weiss follows a handful of brave women who fought for the right to vote with cameos from Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The narrative presented primarily takes place in Nashville, August 1920. By this time only one more state is required for ratification of the nineteenth amendment and everything falls on Tennessee. The opposition features politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and racists who don't want black women voting. There are also the 'Antis' - women who fear that their own enfranchisement will cause the moral collapse of the United States. All of these elements come together to face off in Nashville replete with dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel's, and the Bible.
This history book by Elaine F. Weiss is easily one of the most readable and comprehensive books on the women's suffrage movement focusing on ratification and Tennessee that I have ever had the opportunity to read. I've been reading quite a bit lately about that time period and women's suffrage, but this is hands down the most informative when it comes to such a key moment in history. The author also does a fantastic job of integrating history of the movement into the primary as well - I, for one, particularly enjoyed seeing Victoria Woodhull's name get brought up since she's so often left out (I'm glad that people are really beginning to learn more about her life). The author also does a great job of starkly laying out all of the movement's detractors, so matter-of-factly detailing their means, methods, and motivations for being on the other side of history. Finally, I'd also like to mention that Weiss also does a brilliant job of making her history book feel incredibly timely. Of course, the main events in the book take place 98 years ago, but she still does a fantastic job of making their battle feel like fresh and current.
Overall, I highly recommend this new non-fiction book from Elaine F. Weiss all about everything finally coming together after a decades long struggle for women to cast their ballots. Every page of this inspiring 400+ page tome is inspiring and well worth your time. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for future projects from this author.
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine F. Weiss follows a handful of brave women who fought for the right to vote with cameos from Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Frederick Douglass, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The narrative presented primarily takes place in Nashville, August 1920. By this time only one more state is required for ratification of the nineteenth amendment and everything falls on Tennessee. The opposition features politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and racists who don't want black women voting. There are also the 'Antis' - women who fear that their own enfranchisement will cause the moral collapse of the United States. All of these elements come together to face off in Nashville replete with dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel's, and the Bible.
This history book by Elaine F. Weiss is easily one of the most readable and comprehensive books on the women's suffrage movement focusing on ratification and Tennessee that I have ever had the opportunity to read. I've been reading quite a bit lately about that time period and women's suffrage, but this is hands down the most informative when it comes to such a key moment in history. The author also does a fantastic job of integrating history of the movement into the primary as well - I, for one, particularly enjoyed seeing Victoria Woodhull's name get brought up since she's so often left out (I'm glad that people are really beginning to learn more about her life). The author also does a great job of starkly laying out all of the movement's detractors, so matter-of-factly detailing their means, methods, and motivations for being on the other side of history. Finally, I'd also like to mention that Weiss also does a brilliant job of making her history book feel incredibly timely. Of course, the main events in the book take place 98 years ago, but she still does a fantastic job of making their battle feel like fresh and current.
Overall, I highly recommend this new non-fiction book from Elaine F. Weiss all about everything finally coming together after a decades long struggle for women to cast their ballots. Every page of this inspiring 400+ page tome is inspiring and well worth your time. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for future projects from this author.
January 23, 2019
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote is a comprehensive and meticulously researched study of the fight for the women's vote across the nation but focusing on the fight for the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in Tennessee, the thirty-sixth state that would bring voting rights for women throughout the United States, and not the patchwork of inequities and partial freedoms that presently existed throughout each of the forty-eight states in 1919. What was striking was that this was after seven decades of fighting for these rights. What I found so interesting was how the struggle for voting rights was such an intricate part of the civil rights movement. Weiss focuses on the last six weeks of the campaign as the suffragists and anti-suffragists converged in Nashville in advance of the vote.
"The crusade for woman suffrage stands as one of the defining civil rights movements in the history of our country, and its organizing stragegies, lobbying techniques, and nonviolentt protest actions became the model for the civil rights campaigns to follow in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries."
"The early advocates of legal rights for American women all began their activist careers as fervent abolitionists. They believed slavery was a grievous wrong and they were obliged to confront and stop it."
"When I ran away from slavery, it was for myself; when I advocated emancipation, it was for my people; but when I stood up for the rights of women, self was out of the question, and I found a little nobility in the act." -- Frederick Douglass 1888
"The crusade for woman suffrage stands as one of the defining civil rights movements in the history of our country, and its organizing stragegies, lobbying techniques, and nonviolentt protest actions became the model for the civil rights campaigns to follow in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries."
"The early advocates of legal rights for American women all began their activist careers as fervent abolitionists. They believed slavery was a grievous wrong and they were obliged to confront and stop it."
"When I ran away from slavery, it was for myself; when I advocated emancipation, it was for my people; but when I stood up for the rights of women, self was out of the question, and I found a little nobility in the act." -- Frederick Douglass 1888
June 23, 2020
The year is 1920. Every state but two has voted on the 19th Amendment. The two states remaining are Tennessee and North Carolina. There is no question that the issue of women voting in NC is dead on arrival, so all eyes are on TN.
The year is 1920. It is a presidential election year and the issue before the country is will it drastically change the face of the electorate 10 weeks before a presidential election? Imagine debating an amendment that changed the voting age or allowed illegal immigrants to vote weeks before the vote? Tennessee's decision literally decides who the next president!
The issue is not just women’s rights, it is state’s rights. Ratification will force states opposed to suffrage (almost all of the former Confederate States) to allow to let women vote!
The timing is crucial.
The Amendment passed in Congress in 1919 in part because of the role women played during WW I and the Spanish Flu. If it fails then it might be another generation before the ‘Susan B Anthony Amendment’ has a chance of passing.
The issue is bigger than women's rights. Women include black women. What role does racism play in the passage or resistance to passage of the Amendment? Is the country ready to let black women vote?
The 1870 Tennessee Constitution forbade the legislation from considering a federal Amendment until after the November election, but the Supreme Court ruled the US Constitution overrode this. Still, the state legislators could approve, reject, or delay ratification.
Elaine Weiss’s book is fascinating… the twists and turns in the book! She tells the story in such a captivating way. One of the most surprising aspects of the book is that prior to the section dealing with the debate on the Tennessee Legislative Floor was that most of the Suffs and Antis were women.
Let me just highlight one section. Weiss presents a story. When you finish the story, the 19th Amendment looks dead in the water. One Tennessee legislature, however, declares that unless divine intervention occurs, the amendment is going to pass. What did he know? How did he know it?
Another story involves a Tennessee state senator (Herschel Kandler) who makes such a pathetic speech that he antagonized everybody. He accuses the legislatures of being in a “petticoat government” (eg beholden to women.) Virtually everybody blasts this man. But one senator points out that Kandler is so out of touch with reality that he doesn’t realize women no longer wear petticoats.
This is one of those rare books that I couldn’t put down---I was up until 3:30am finishing it.
This is the first of several books that I'm reading in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment... this sets a very high bar for the subject!
A very strong 5 star review.
The year is 1920. It is a presidential election year and the issue before the country is will it drastically change the face of the electorate 10 weeks before a presidential election? Imagine debating an amendment that changed the voting age or allowed illegal immigrants to vote weeks before the vote? Tennessee's decision literally decides who the next president!
The issue is not just women’s rights, it is state’s rights. Ratification will force states opposed to suffrage (almost all of the former Confederate States) to allow to let women vote!
The timing is crucial.
The Amendment passed in Congress in 1919 in part because of the role women played during WW I and the Spanish Flu. If it fails then it might be another generation before the ‘Susan B Anthony Amendment’ has a chance of passing.
The issue is bigger than women's rights. Women include black women. What role does racism play in the passage or resistance to passage of the Amendment? Is the country ready to let black women vote?
The 1870 Tennessee Constitution forbade the legislation from considering a federal Amendment until after the November election, but the Supreme Court ruled the US Constitution overrode this. Still, the state legislators could approve, reject, or delay ratification.
Elaine Weiss’s book is fascinating… the twists and turns in the book! She tells the story in such a captivating way. One of the most surprising aspects of the book is that prior to the section dealing with the debate on the Tennessee Legislative Floor was that most of the Suffs and Antis were women.
Let me just highlight one section. Weiss presents a story. When you finish the story, the 19th Amendment looks dead in the water. One Tennessee legislature, however, declares that unless divine intervention occurs, the amendment is going to pass. What did he know? How did he know it?
Another story involves a Tennessee state senator (Herschel Kandler) who makes such a pathetic speech that he antagonized everybody. He accuses the legislatures of being in a “petticoat government” (eg beholden to women.) Virtually everybody blasts this man. But one senator points out that Kandler is so out of touch with reality that he doesn’t realize women no longer wear petticoats.
This is one of those rare books that I couldn’t put down---I was up until 3:30am finishing it.
This is the first of several books that I'm reading in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment... this sets a very high bar for the subject!
A very strong 5 star review.
May 12, 2018
This book was a suffrage thriller! It's about the fight to get Tennessee to ratify the 19th amendment and it's a fascinating read. It's also super revelatory about the debates today. Here are a few takeaways and thoughts:
1. The anti-suffrage women--these are today's conservative women who always seem to be fighting against their own political representation. I will never understand it, but what was fascinating here is that every single phyllis schlafly and Sarah Palin and Tomi Lahern's today would say that of course they would be fighting for suffrage, but they wouldn't. That's the pathetic and sad truth.
2. The anti-suffrage men were in a few camps: bought by railroads or liquor interests who thought women would be against them and the men who thought that the women would join a womens party and unseat them. This goes back to point one, but it seems that everyone was afraid that women would join together and push female candidates and form a coalition to push for certain interests (against war, alcohol, corruption), but ha! Jokes on us, we totally didn't! Ugh!
3. Shocking to me that Eleanor Roosevelt and Ida Tarbell were anti vote and so was Wilson's wife. I cannot fathom it. And Harding and Wilson seems to show not all that much strength either way here.
4. The racism of the suffragettes. Yikes. I mean, I sort of knew about Susan B. Anthony's infamous rants, but it seems to have been more pervasive (though not total). And it's just unbelievable that they would be willing to throw their black female sisters under the bus so that they could get the vote (though Anthony felt like Frederick Douglass through the girls under the bus to get the 15th amendment passed). But they wouldn't let Ida B. Wells march with them and they kept making arguments that the womens vote would not threaten white supremacy in the south (oh by the way, that's what this whole thing hinged on in Tennessee by the way--the Klan having long made the 15th amendment null and void. Charming).
Such a great book.
1. The anti-suffrage women--these are today's conservative women who always seem to be fighting against their own political representation. I will never understand it, but what was fascinating here is that every single phyllis schlafly and Sarah Palin and Tomi Lahern's today would say that of course they would be fighting for suffrage, but they wouldn't. That's the pathetic and sad truth.
2. The anti-suffrage men were in a few camps: bought by railroads or liquor interests who thought women would be against them and the men who thought that the women would join a womens party and unseat them. This goes back to point one, but it seems that everyone was afraid that women would join together and push female candidates and form a coalition to push for certain interests (against war, alcohol, corruption), but ha! Jokes on us, we totally didn't! Ugh!
3. Shocking to me that Eleanor Roosevelt and Ida Tarbell were anti vote and so was Wilson's wife. I cannot fathom it. And Harding and Wilson seems to show not all that much strength either way here.
4. The racism of the suffragettes. Yikes. I mean, I sort of knew about Susan B. Anthony's infamous rants, but it seems to have been more pervasive (though not total). And it's just unbelievable that they would be willing to throw their black female sisters under the bus so that they could get the vote (though Anthony felt like Frederick Douglass through the girls under the bus to get the 15th amendment passed). But they wouldn't let Ida B. Wells march with them and they kept making arguments that the womens vote would not threaten white supremacy in the south (oh by the way, that's what this whole thing hinged on in Tennessee by the way--the Klan having long made the 15th amendment null and void. Charming).
Such a great book.
February 10, 2022
Highly readable but uneven account of the American women's suffrage movement, focusing on the battle to ratify the 19th Amendment in Tennessee. Weiss takes an episodic approach to her subject, using the July 1920 events as a framing device to explore the history and personalities involved in the "Battle of Tennessee": Carrie Chapman Catt, the unofficial leader of the suffragettes, who twists politician's arms, courts the press and calls in favors while her more radical allies Alice Paul and Anne Dallas Dudley set the rhetorical tone; Josephine Anderson Pearson, the rose-sporting opponent of suffrage who warned that women votes would lead to Bolshevism, anarchy and racial equality; national politicians Woodrow Wilson, James Cox and Warren G. Harding, who equivocated over suffrage (only Cox, Harding's opponent in 1920, comes off remotely well); and Tennesseans like Governor Albert Roberts and Harry Burn, whose last-minute change of heart played a key role in turning the tide. The book contains a wealth of worthwhile information, but its presentation often feels haphazard and uneven, as if Weiss couldn't determine the best way to craft a narrative, or else felt obliged to include all bits of her research. Here, we discuss a minor player's exciting World War I exploits; there, we flit back to the 19th Century feud between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass over racial equality; here we discuss Tennessee state politics, there Woodrow Wilson's presidency. Interesting as many of these nuggets are, the cumulative effect becomes dizzying, distracting, occasionally hard to follow. When the narrative finally settles into the floor debate in the Tennessee legislature it becomes absolutely gripping - so much so, we wish that Weiss had just cut to the chase. Worth reading, but hampered by the author's clunky, discursive writing style.
February 15, 2019
The start of this book thrilled me. We see imagery of the Union Station in Nashville.
1. Mercury alight on the steeple of Union Station. Weiss notes this Mercury depiction as Mrs Catt of NAWSA enters Nashville on the train. Apparently Weiss likens Mrs Catt to a divine messenger.
2. Bas-relief of Miss Nashville depicted as goddess over the main entrance of the station. This imagery shows how entrenched the Cult of True Womanhood was in early 2oth-century Tenneessee.
3. Bas-relief of a L&N train and engine bursting forth from a wall. In the historical narrative of US American woman's suffrage, the L&N line fought against woman suffrage in Tenneesse. This is made clear in the book, but never explained.
By reading this book, I have learned of the progression of middle-class women into the public realm.
During the Great Awakenings, congregations needed more preachers, women stepped up.
During the Abolitionist Movement, women act as donors, orators, writers.
With the advent of typewriters, women start working as typist-secretaries.
During the Great War, women worked industrial and communications jobs.
By reading Weiss' book, I learned of the connections between women's organizations.
Abolitionists
Organizers of 1848 Seneca Falls Convention
National American Woman Suffrage Association which
joined League of Women's Voters.
(More details in book.)
Weiss describes the often challenging interactions and lack of interactions between white and black women suffragists/voters. These groups of women had first joined forces during the Abolition Movement. By working together the women learned that they were in inherent parity with each other--and with men. And American women would never be the same. However, the relationship has been both supportive and antagonistic. In the great self-correcting Universe, the bridge will be mended. In the great self-correcting Universe, the US people will elect a woman to be president. I hope to live to hear her inaugurational speech. I love that president already 💓💓💓
********
This book is a little long-winded, a little confusing/boring. To eliminate much of the boring/confusing aspect, a Timeline of when Tennesse legislative moves; of when Harding indicated he was supportive and when he withdrew support; of when Wilson had his stroke and of when Mrs Catt made her call at the White House. These dates and events would help the reader to stay focused on the text rather than breaking to ask Google for information Weiss is checking as she is writing.
***********
Overall, I learned things I thought I knew. Always happy to build upon my current information set.
1. Mercury alight on the steeple of Union Station. Weiss notes this Mercury depiction as Mrs Catt of NAWSA enters Nashville on the train. Apparently Weiss likens Mrs Catt to a divine messenger.
2. Bas-relief of Miss Nashville depicted as goddess over the main entrance of the station. This imagery shows how entrenched the Cult of True Womanhood was in early 2oth-century Tenneessee.
3. Bas-relief of a L&N train and engine bursting forth from a wall. In the historical narrative of US American woman's suffrage, the L&N line fought against woman suffrage in Tenneesse. This is made clear in the book, but never explained.
By reading this book, I have learned of the progression of middle-class women into the public realm.
During the Great Awakenings, congregations needed more preachers, women stepped up.
During the Abolitionist Movement, women act as donors, orators, writers.
With the advent of typewriters, women start working as typist-secretaries.
During the Great War, women worked industrial and communications jobs.
By reading Weiss' book, I learned of the connections between women's organizations.
Abolitionists
Organizers of 1848 Seneca Falls Convention
National American Woman Suffrage Association which
joined League of Women's Voters.
(More details in book.)
Weiss describes the often challenging interactions and lack of interactions between white and black women suffragists/voters. These groups of women had first joined forces during the Abolition Movement. By working together the women learned that they were in inherent parity with each other--and with men. And American women would never be the same. However, the relationship has been both supportive and antagonistic. In the great self-correcting Universe, the bridge will be mended. In the great self-correcting Universe, the US people will elect a woman to be president. I hope to live to hear her inaugurational speech. I love that president already 💓💓💓
********
This book is a little long-winded, a little confusing/boring. To eliminate much of the boring/confusing aspect, a Timeline of when Tennesse legislative moves; of when Harding indicated he was supportive and when he withdrew support; of when Wilson had his stroke and of when Mrs Catt made her call at the White House. These dates and events would help the reader to stay focused on the text rather than breaking to ask Google for information Weiss is checking as she is writing.
***********
Overall, I learned things I thought I knew. Always happy to build upon my current information set.
June 16, 2018
It is the battleground of Memphis, Tennessee in August 1920 where Carrie Catt and Alice Paul, suffragettes, stand toe-to-toe with Josephine Pearson, an anti-suffragette. The fight for the 19th Amendment comes down to one more needed state to ratify, giving the vote to women in America. It is an election year and Tennessee governor Albert Roberts wants to make sure he is re-elected. His stance on the "Susan B. Anthony Amendment" could make or break his campaign. In the hopes that the "woman vote" will get him another term, Roberts calls a special session of the Tennessee legislature to consider the amendment.
The women of the suffrage movement are split between the Catt's National American Women's Suffrage Association and the more radical National Women's Party led by Paul. They both go after the men of Tennessee's House and Senate, while their opponent Pearson pulls some dirty tricks of her own to try to squash the vote. The days leading up to the vote are frenzied and stressful for all involved. Each side knows that whichever way the vote goes, it will be by a narrow margin. The savior of the day is one Harry Burn, who on the advice of his mother, makes a very last minute decision that heralds a monumental change in the lives of all American women.
This is one of those non-fiction books that reads like a novel. The constant changes in those days leading up to the final vote can, at times, be nail-biting. It is a story that all women need to read. Many women fought to get the right to vote. Many women fought against it as well. I think a lot of modern women take the ability to vote for granted. It shows in our polls with only about 63% of eligible women voting in the 2016 November election. This is an excellent book that will make you want to go out and join the League of Women Voters and stand as a proud voter.
The women of the suffrage movement are split between the Catt's National American Women's Suffrage Association and the more radical National Women's Party led by Paul. They both go after the men of Tennessee's House and Senate, while their opponent Pearson pulls some dirty tricks of her own to try to squash the vote. The days leading up to the vote are frenzied and stressful for all involved. Each side knows that whichever way the vote goes, it will be by a narrow margin. The savior of the day is one Harry Burn, who on the advice of his mother, makes a very last minute decision that heralds a monumental change in the lives of all American women.
This is one of those non-fiction books that reads like a novel. The constant changes in those days leading up to the final vote can, at times, be nail-biting. It is a story that all women need to read. Many women fought to get the right to vote. Many women fought against it as well. I think a lot of modern women take the ability to vote for granted. It shows in our polls with only about 63% of eligible women voting in the 2016 November election. This is an excellent book that will make you want to go out and join the League of Women Voters and stand as a proud voter.
April 8, 2021
This book chronicles the political showdown between pro and anti women’s suffrage forces as they descended on 1920s Nashville when Tennessee became the 36th and last state required for ratification of the 19th Amendment. This was a tightly fought political battle overflowing with libel, bribery, and whiskey—in spite of Prohibition.
Even though it's no secret how the story ends most readers will begin to wonder, how in the world will this thing get passed? From our perspective one hundred years later it is tempting to consider the move of giving women the franchise to be part of the inevitable arc of history. But this book makes it clear that is was definitely not a sure thing from their perspective at the time.
The story is told from the perspective of the individuals working on the project at the time. In doing so the book provides numerous mini biographies, and as these stories are told the long history of the Women’s Suffrage movement going back to Seneca Falls Convention is covered. Thus the stories of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others are reviewed.
The three individuals on the Nashville scene primarily portrayed by this book are Carrie Chapman Catt, Sue Shelton White, and Josephine A. Pearson. Readers unfamiliar with suffragette history will be surprised to learn how divided the pro-suffragettes were, and that some of the most prodigious opposition was led by women. Catt led the National American Woman Suffrage Association which considered the National Woman’s Party led by Alice Paul and represented in Nashville by Sue White to be too radical. Josephine Pearson was the leading opposition leader in Nashville and was motivated by her belief that she was obeying both God and the wishes of her deceased mother.
One would think that anything so logical as women’s suffrage shouldn’t required such hard work to bring about. Sadly, part of the reason women’s suffrage was able to pass in a southern state such as Tennessee was the implied permission—and in the end, reality—that the southern states would be allowed to continue their obstruction of voting rights for African Americans. That was a battle for fifty years later.
Even though it's no secret how the story ends most readers will begin to wonder, how in the world will this thing get passed? From our perspective one hundred years later it is tempting to consider the move of giving women the franchise to be part of the inevitable arc of history. But this book makes it clear that is was definitely not a sure thing from their perspective at the time.
The story is told from the perspective of the individuals working on the project at the time. In doing so the book provides numerous mini biographies, and as these stories are told the long history of the Women’s Suffrage movement going back to Seneca Falls Convention is covered. Thus the stories of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others are reviewed.
The three individuals on the Nashville scene primarily portrayed by this book are Carrie Chapman Catt, Sue Shelton White, and Josephine A. Pearson. Readers unfamiliar with suffragette history will be surprised to learn how divided the pro-suffragettes were, and that some of the most prodigious opposition was led by women. Catt led the National American Woman Suffrage Association which considered the National Woman’s Party led by Alice Paul and represented in Nashville by Sue White to be too radical. Josephine Pearson was the leading opposition leader in Nashville and was motivated by her belief that she was obeying both God and the wishes of her deceased mother.
One would think that anything so logical as women’s suffrage shouldn’t required such hard work to bring about. Sadly, part of the reason women’s suffrage was able to pass in a southern state such as Tennessee was the implied permission—and in the end, reality—that the southern states would be allowed to continue their obstruction of voting rights for African Americans. That was a battle for fifty years later.
April 6, 2018
This is truly excellent. I will never again believe that women were "given" the vote. They fought tooth and nail to get the enfranchisement. This is something that every woman should read.
August 20, 2018
I finished listening to this two days ago, and still an anger lingers. I'm angry that I'm a Tennessean and history minor in undergrad, yet I didn't know how integral TN was in women's suffrage until last year. Arguably, the most important contribution TN made to the US was to be the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment, and yet, TN history teachers fail to mention it. I'm angry that systematic sexism and misogyny still exist. I'm angry that men had to make the decision as to whether I vote or not. I'm angry that men still make decision for women. I'm angry at the infantilization of women and racism on all sides of the suffrage movement. I'm angry that these things still exist. I'm angry that women weren't allowed to open a credit card without a male cosigner until the 1970s. I'm angry that women still earn 20% less than men for the same work with the same credentials.
I could go on. What I need to say is, this is an amazing book. I've read several general histories of the women's suffrage movement in the US, and this is the best one by far. The last half reads like a thriller, with blackmail, sabotage, and the constant, nail-biting wait to see if women will finally read the vote. Even knowing that TN would ratify the amendment didn't assuage my anxiety.
Also, I'm so glad this book constantly shows the suffragettes' racism. So many books I've read about the movement relegate that to a single chapter, when, in fact, it pervaded the entire movement's ideology. Another thing to be angry about -- we didn't win the vote to protect ALL women voters, we won it for white women.
This is essential reading. I listened to it on audiobook, with Tavia Gilbert as the reader. She does a good job. I will be buying this book, however. It's one that needs a place on my shelf.
I could go on. What I need to say is, this is an amazing book. I've read several general histories of the women's suffrage movement in the US, and this is the best one by far. The last half reads like a thriller, with blackmail, sabotage, and the constant, nail-biting wait to see if women will finally read the vote. Even knowing that TN would ratify the amendment didn't assuage my anxiety.
Also, I'm so glad this book constantly shows the suffragettes' racism. So many books I've read about the movement relegate that to a single chapter, when, in fact, it pervaded the entire movement's ideology. Another thing to be angry about -- we didn't win the vote to protect ALL women voters, we won it for white women.
This is essential reading. I listened to it on audiobook, with Tavia Gilbert as the reader. She does a good job. I will be buying this book, however. It's one that needs a place on my shelf.
October 21, 2019
This book highlighted a piece of American history that I really knew very little about. 36 states were needed to ratify the 19th amendment, and 35 had done so. The right for women to vote hinged on Tennessee being the 36th. This story thrusts the reader into the political battle that ultimately resulted in the women getting the vote. The author details (and I do mean details) the contentious battle between the Suffs and the Antis and creates a portrait of many of the key women who fought with incredible passion for the vote.
The book itself is a bit uneven. There are parts that read like true narrative non-fiction and really bring the battle to life. And there are parts (mostly in the middle) that seem repetitive, overly detailed, and a bit dull. There are so many people involved that the names begin to get very hard to track. I have X-Ray on my Kindle which helped, but honestly a guide to the players would be have been an excellent addition.
All in all, it was worthwhile though if only because it gives the reader a chance to understand how incredibly difficult it was to obtain the right for women to vote and how even long ago, the media, politics, lying, and deal making form the cornerstones of our messy democratic process. The outcome is not a mystery, but it is scary to realize how close the ratification process came to failure and the persistence required to pass what seems like a quite straightforward piece of legislation.
The book itself is a bit uneven. There are parts that read like true narrative non-fiction and really bring the battle to life. And there are parts (mostly in the middle) that seem repetitive, overly detailed, and a bit dull. There are so many people involved that the names begin to get very hard to track. I have X-Ray on my Kindle which helped, but honestly a guide to the players would be have been an excellent addition.
All in all, it was worthwhile though if only because it gives the reader a chance to understand how incredibly difficult it was to obtain the right for women to vote and how even long ago, the media, politics, lying, and deal making form the cornerstones of our messy democratic process. The outcome is not a mystery, but it is scary to realize how close the ratification process came to failure and the persistence required to pass what seems like a quite straightforward piece of legislation.
February 21, 2019
Fabulous book. Solid 5 star.
The Woman’s Hour is a history book that reads like a thriller. It is about the climax of US suffrage movement, the final state’s ratification of the 19th Amendment of US.
We all know the battle was won, but I did not know the fight so hard and the final batter so dramatic. The voting rights were certainly not “given” to women. I am also surprised by the women who were vehemently against the idea of having the basic political rights. Not only did they not want it, but also believe it was such a horrible idea that they must do everything in their power to stop it. The rhetoric employed by these Antis sounded so familiar--state rights, the race question and the religious issue, all too familiar in today’s political climate.
The Woman’s Hour gives a very good summary of the history of US Suffrage Movement, from Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton, to Carrie Catt and Alice Paul, and to The League of Women Voters. The complicate relationship between women’s suffrage and abolitionist movement is new to me, although I am not surprised by the racial tension within suffrage movement.
Elaine F. Weiss is a fine historian and writer. There are a lot of characters--I mean historical figures. The author did a great job depicting these figures, historically accurate and lively. I could almost see their wearings and manners, and sometimes hear their inner thoughts. Nashville’s central station, Hotel Hermitage and Capitol Hill all came back to life in the book. In the audio book version, Tavia Gilbert and the author herself did great jobs recreating the accent of various historical figures. It feels like listening to a 1920s period drama.
Some thoughts:
-- Carrie Catt was a remarkable politician who knew when to compromise without losing too much of her principles. Incremental progress is better than no progress.
-- Universal equality still has a long way to go.
-- Politicians yesterday only cared about their reelection, just like politicians today. Corporation influence and bribery in politics have not changed at all
-- Not all men did not want women to vote. Men fought for women's suffrage too.
-- Charlotte Rowe, with her patent twisted verminous arguments, is the grandmother of all Internet trolls.
Highly recommended!
The Woman’s Hour is a history book that reads like a thriller. It is about the climax of US suffrage movement, the final state’s ratification of the 19th Amendment of US.
We all know the battle was won, but I did not know the fight so hard and the final batter so dramatic. The voting rights were certainly not “given” to women. I am also surprised by the women who were vehemently against the idea of having the basic political rights. Not only did they not want it, but also believe it was such a horrible idea that they must do everything in their power to stop it. The rhetoric employed by these Antis sounded so familiar--state rights, the race question and the religious issue, all too familiar in today’s political climate.
The Woman’s Hour gives a very good summary of the history of US Suffrage Movement, from Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton, to Carrie Catt and Alice Paul, and to The League of Women Voters. The complicate relationship between women’s suffrage and abolitionist movement is new to me, although I am not surprised by the racial tension within suffrage movement.
Elaine F. Weiss is a fine historian and writer. There are a lot of characters--I mean historical figures. The author did a great job depicting these figures, historically accurate and lively. I could almost see their wearings and manners, and sometimes hear their inner thoughts. Nashville’s central station, Hotel Hermitage and Capitol Hill all came back to life in the book. In the audio book version, Tavia Gilbert and the author herself did great jobs recreating the accent of various historical figures. It feels like listening to a 1920s period drama.
Some thoughts:
-- Carrie Catt was a remarkable politician who knew when to compromise without losing too much of her principles. Incremental progress is better than no progress.
-- Universal equality still has a long way to go.
-- Politicians yesterday only cared about their reelection, just like politicians today. Corporation influence and bribery in politics have not changed at all
-- Not all men did not want women to vote. Men fought for women's suffrage too.
-- Charlotte Rowe, with her patent twisted verminous arguments, is the grandmother of all Internet trolls.
Highly recommended!
March 8, 2023
If we taught history like this book writes it, every student would want to study for a PhD. The Woman's Hour was riveting from the first page to the last. In 1920, the vote to ratify the 19th amendment and give women the right to vote was up in the Tennessee legislature. 35 states had voted to ratify, none in the south. Suffragettes and anti-suffragettes all collided in Nashville in a bitter struggle to determine whether or not women would gain the federal right to vote. There was literally a nail biter finish equal to any thriller I have read or watched. I learned so much about this -- including the shameful pieces of how race impacted the anti-suffragette movement and how many suffragettes were willing to sacrifice equal rights for African-Americans if it got women the right to vote. This was incredible -- it would make an amazing film and at minimum, excerpts of this should be used in high school history classes. One of the most moving photos in the book was of Susan B Anthony's gravestone in November of 2016. Over 10,000 women took their "I voted" stickers and left them on the gravestone -- what an incredible tribute to the lifelong crusade of these women.
October 28, 2020
It may be surprising to learn that Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, in 1920, giving women the right to vote in federal elections. This book provides a detailed history of the fight in the Tennessee legislature. Weiss highlights both groups of “Suffs” (American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman’s Party) as well as the “Antis,” their leaders, and the tactics they used. She also provides portraits of the key Tennessee legislators and other national figures, such as Warren G. Harding and Woodrow Wilson. She covers the various forces for and against the movement and how they attempted to influence the outcome. It may not be surprising to learn that special interests, bribery, racism, intimidation, and mudslinging were involved.
This book is a thorough examination of a single episode in the seven decades-long history of the US women’s suffrage movement. While it does provide biographical information about the founders of the movement, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, it is more focused on those present during the Tennessee debate, such as Carrie Catts and Sue White. I think the author does a good job of evoking the time period and the book includes numerous historical photos. It helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of the right to vote.
This book is a thorough examination of a single episode in the seven decades-long history of the US women’s suffrage movement. While it does provide biographical information about the founders of the movement, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, it is more focused on those present during the Tennessee debate, such as Carrie Catts and Sue White. I think the author does a good job of evoking the time period and the book includes numerous historical photos. It helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of the right to vote.
August 14, 2017
Highlighting the power of women's fight for equality in a single summer, this brilliant and timely narrative nonfiction is a wake up call.
By looking back on our struggles, can we truly understand hidden and undervalued lessons gained that we take for granted today.
Weiss' voice is not only readable but empowering as Daniel James Brown (Boys in the Boat) but as fascinating for both men and women to read. Plus we could take a page from their powerful methods of activism and continue to fight against oppression today.
I hope when it's published in March, Women's history month, its only the beginning of it's long and needed life.
By looking back on our struggles, can we truly understand hidden and undervalued lessons gained that we take for granted today.
Weiss' voice is not only readable but empowering as Daniel James Brown (Boys in the Boat) but as fascinating for both men and women to read. Plus we could take a page from their powerful methods of activism and continue to fight against oppression today.
I hope when it's published in March, Women's history month, its only the beginning of it's long and needed life.
January 27, 2025
This was riveting! I felt like I was reading a political thriller. The audio version has a fun interview with author at end. Who knew the state of Tennessee was so pivotal in the women’s suffrage movement?
November 20, 2017
Elaine Weiss does a commendable job of writing about the last big battle before the ratification granting women the right to vote. The book reads like fiction and definitely helped me better understand both the Suffragettes and the "Antis'. There were so many different issues and players in this fight for ratification. It was amazing that it was passed and a true testament to the will and drive the Suffragettes had.
Carl Sagan once said, "You have to know the past to understand the present" and Ms. Weiss' book helps us both know the past while giving us a way to understand our present - the question is will we take about the challenge entrusted to us?
Read this if you like history. Read this if you are even a little bit political. But don't read if you only like fast-paced books that don't need a lot of consideration.
Carl Sagan once said, "You have to know the past to understand the present" and Ms. Weiss' book helps us both know the past while giving us a way to understand our present - the question is will we take about the challenge entrusted to us?
Read this if you like history. Read this if you are even a little bit political. But don't read if you only like fast-paced books that don't need a lot of consideration.
October 22, 2020
Every American woman should read this book. It is a history, one perspective, of the many great battles that were required in order to provide, by law, the vote to women. It is clear that it was a battle that had successes and failures - equality didn't happen, it only got the opportunity to happen if women would use their power to effect change. An entire group of voters - blacks and other ethnicities - continued to be abused and persecuted, and lives were lost during elections. White oppressors continued their bloody crimes against humanity. . . and some do so through to this very day. However, baby steps. . .it took over 60 years to get that locked door open in 1920. Here we are in 2020. One hundred years later. What have we done? What haven't we done? Are the same butts sitting in the high places? Hmm.
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, making women’s suffrage legal in the United States. Upon returning home from that great battle, Carrie Catt wrote this charge to the women voters of the nation:
The vote is the emblem of your equality, women of America. The guarantee of your liberty. That vote of yours has cost millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of women. Women have suffered agony of soul which you never can comprehend, that you and your daughters might inherit political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it. The vote is a power. A weapon of offense and defense. A prayer. Use it intelligently. Conscientiously. Prayerfully. Progress is calling to you to make no pause. ACT!
Her voice rises up from the dust of the past and is pleading with us! There is still so much to do. What have we done with our power since it was first granted to us, by law and age?
Read this book. Don’t stop there. Use your voice. Fight for equal rights for all people. No one is more equal than another (should be obvious, but there are many who feel they are more equal than others).
5 stars. E-Q-U-A-L.
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, making women’s suffrage legal in the United States. Upon returning home from that great battle, Carrie Catt wrote this charge to the women voters of the nation:
The vote is the emblem of your equality, women of America. The guarantee of your liberty. That vote of yours has cost millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of women. Women have suffered agony of soul which you never can comprehend, that you and your daughters might inherit political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it. The vote is a power. A weapon of offense and defense. A prayer. Use it intelligently. Conscientiously. Prayerfully. Progress is calling to you to make no pause. ACT!
Her voice rises up from the dust of the past and is pleading with us! There is still so much to do. What have we done with our power since it was first granted to us, by law and age?
Read this book. Don’t stop there. Use your voice. Fight for equal rights for all people. No one is more equal than another (should be obvious, but there are many who feel they are more equal than others).
5 stars. E-Q-U-A-L.
July 11, 2018
There are key figures in the battle to ratify the nineteenth amendment that I didn’t know about until reading this book.
There is a lot of history to this one and it gave me a new appreciation for the women that fought societal norms to pave the road to suffrage. It wasn’t easy. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Women can vote, but make up a small percentage of political roles. Decisions made about women’s reproductive rights aren’t typically made by women. Women in the U.S. are some of the only ones that don’t get paid maternity leave. Women in the workforce still don’t see equal pay and are held back from moving up the ladder once they have children. So what this means is that we must harness the power of Carrie Catt and Alice Paul and keep the fight going.
I am amazed at what it took for women to get the right to vote. I will do better to use my voice now that I know the blood, sweat and tears that went into it.
There is a lot of history to this one and it gave me a new appreciation for the women that fought societal norms to pave the road to suffrage. It wasn’t easy. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Women can vote, but make up a small percentage of political roles. Decisions made about women’s reproductive rights aren’t typically made by women. Women in the U.S. are some of the only ones that don’t get paid maternity leave. Women in the workforce still don’t see equal pay and are held back from moving up the ladder once they have children. So what this means is that we must harness the power of Carrie Catt and Alice Paul and keep the fight going.
I am amazed at what it took for women to get the right to vote. I will do better to use my voice now that I know the blood, sweat and tears that went into it.
July 9, 2020
Selected by the book club hosted by my library, we were supposed to have read and discussed this during Women’s History Month which also occurs the same year as the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Unfortunately, covid-19 interrupted those plans. I decided to continue reading on my own because of the content and quality of this book.
I didn’t know a lot of the details regarding the passage of the 19th amendment. I vaguely remember that Tennessee was the 36th state but couldn’t have told you who the major players were. This book does an incredible job of introducing each interval figure from the Suffragists to the Antis.
Historical non-fiction is not my go-to choice in reading. Partly it’s because of some dry, mind-numbing reads in the past. And also because they usually clock-in at 200+ pages. This read was very different. Yes, it’s got a lot of pages, but the actual narrative reads like a novel. Elaine Weiss’s style is such that she doesn’t sacrifice factual integrity for narrative nor vice-verses. I appreciated that she incorporates the main figures’s biographies in the narrative rather in a long resume format.
Another thing I typically avoid is audiobooks. I prefer to read rather than be read to. However, being stuck at home doing teaching via the Internet, this audio book helped me keep my sanity. The narrator does an amazing job at giving character’s distinct voices and bringing the text to life.
This is an important read and one that’s worth the effort. Whether for book clubs or individuals I highly recommend this book.
I didn’t know a lot of the details regarding the passage of the 19th amendment. I vaguely remember that Tennessee was the 36th state but couldn’t have told you who the major players were. This book does an incredible job of introducing each interval figure from the Suffragists to the Antis.
Historical non-fiction is not my go-to choice in reading. Partly it’s because of some dry, mind-numbing reads in the past. And also because they usually clock-in at 200+ pages. This read was very different. Yes, it’s got a lot of pages, but the actual narrative reads like a novel. Elaine Weiss’s style is such that she doesn’t sacrifice factual integrity for narrative nor vice-verses. I appreciated that she incorporates the main figures’s biographies in the narrative rather in a long resume format.
Another thing I typically avoid is audiobooks. I prefer to read rather than be read to. However, being stuck at home doing teaching via the Internet, this audio book helped me keep my sanity. The narrator does an amazing job at giving character’s distinct voices and bringing the text to life.
This is an important read and one that’s worth the effort. Whether for book clubs or individuals I highly recommend this book.
April 18, 2021
This is such a vivid and powerful book about the ratification of the 19th Amendment. It barely passed in Tennessee, and this book shows how, step by step.
History is so much more complicated than we've been taught (not of course that suffrage was covered in my horrible elementary/junior high/high school--as an adult, I've had to self-educate a lot and continue to do so). This book conveys how complicated it is and how close the Amendment came to not passing. (Yeah, I'm looking at you, Delaware.)
I'm glad the book is intersectional and includes the racist voter suppression that has been happening from 1920 to the present. Extreme racism and extreme misogyny have everything to do with why this country is so backwards.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, so I'm reading lots of books about suffrage. Some of them are less white than others--it's important to read a variety. This book is definitely an important one. (Now that I finished reading it, I feel like getting back to reading Fighting Chance: The Struggle Over Woman Suffrage and Black Suffrage in Reconstruction America by Faye E. Dudden... and reading One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson.
History is so much more complicated than we've been taught (not of course that suffrage was covered in my horrible elementary/junior high/high school--as an adult, I've had to self-educate a lot and continue to do so). This book conveys how complicated it is and how close the Amendment came to not passing. (Yeah, I'm looking at you, Delaware.)
I'm glad the book is intersectional and includes the racist voter suppression that has been happening from 1920 to the present. Extreme racism and extreme misogyny have everything to do with why this country is so backwards.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, so I'm reading lots of books about suffrage. Some of them are less white than others--it's important to read a variety. This book is definitely an important one. (Now that I finished reading it, I feel like getting back to reading Fighting Chance: The Struggle Over Woman Suffrage and Black Suffrage in Reconstruction America by Faye E. Dudden... and reading One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson.
December 20, 2019
Two takeaways from this book for me:
1. I will never, ever understand the logic of women who became politically active in the fight against allowing women to become involved with politics. Do you even understand how wildly hypocritical that is?
2. The more I learn about U.S. history beyond the basics taught to me in high school and even college, the more I realize that we've basically been having the exact same arguments about "state's rights" since 1776.
1. I will never, ever understand the logic of women who became politically active in the fight against allowing women to become involved with politics. Do you even understand how wildly hypocritical that is?
2. The more I learn about U.S. history beyond the basics taught to me in high school and even college, the more I realize that we've basically been having the exact same arguments about "state's rights" since 1776.
February 20, 2021
This was an interesting and well-researched book so I have no criticism to explain why it took me such a darn long time to finish reading it. Maybe it’s just too depressing to contemplate that 100 years after winning the right to vote, women are still largely governed by a group of white men who will lie, cheat, and steal to maintain their power over women and people of color. I do recommend the book in spite of my middle of the road rating for it.
February 23, 2019
Tennessee was the final state to ratify the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. It succeeded by the slimmest of margins. This is the story of that historic vote and the activists on both sides of the issue. Accessible, engaging, exciting, this is an example of popular history at its best.
January 17, 2020
I was quite excited to find this book on the history of women’s suffrage. The battle for the vote is overflowing with all the most tantalizing story elements imaginable: brave heroes, despicable betrayals, selfless warriors, dastardly villains, and a down-to-the-wire triumphant victory.
While this book dutifully recounted a lot of the suffrage story facts, it never really caught fire for me. It was just too scattered in its storytelling. There were a lot of characters, but most of their lives were presented as a series of facts, not as an engaging tale that put heart and soul in their spirit, and skin on their bones.
I think this book tried to do too much. The book would have been far more compelling had Weiss embraced fewer characters, then dived deep on the struggles and passions of their very extraordinary lives.
Women’s suffrage is replete with amazing story elements, but this book just lacked heart.
While this book dutifully recounted a lot of the suffrage story facts, it never really caught fire for me. It was just too scattered in its storytelling. There were a lot of characters, but most of their lives were presented as a series of facts, not as an engaging tale that put heart and soul in their spirit, and skin on their bones.
I think this book tried to do too much. The book would have been far more compelling had Weiss embraced fewer characters, then dived deep on the struggles and passions of their very extraordinary lives.
Women’s suffrage is replete with amazing story elements, but this book just lacked heart.
May 13, 2018
A fantastic work of narrative nonfiction that offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it took for Tennessee to ratify suffrage and how this led to women having the right to vote across the U.S.
Sadly, many of the issues being discussed 100 years ago are still relevant today. Thankfully, women are reclaiming their political power. Let us hope that the unity created by the International Women Marches leads to changes at such a grand scale as that described in this book.
Sadly, many of the issues being discussed 100 years ago are still relevant today. Thankfully, women are reclaiming their political power. Let us hope that the unity created by the International Women Marches leads to changes at such a grand scale as that described in this book.
April 30, 2018
I really wanted to be enthralled by this book, but I felt as if the author wanted to tell me every bit of research she uncovered in the process of writing this book. In my opinion, it was a little too lengthy.
That said, I’m glad I listened to it. I’m glad to know more about the long, hard fight for the women’s right to vote.
That said, I’m glad I listened to it. I’m glad to know more about the long, hard fight for the women’s right to vote.
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