From Cowgirl to Congress: Journey of a Suffragist on the Front Lines

by Jessie Butler, Mila Johansen

A first-person account from Jessie Haver Butler, a suffragist on the front lines of the women's movement in 1920, with Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt. During her long life devoted to women's rights, Jessie lectured several times alongside George Bernard Shaw, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas. Jessie escaped a childhood of unthinkable tragedies on a Colorado cattle ranch and went on to attend Smith College, which propelled her into the center of the fight for the rights of women. Inspired by meeting Susan B. Anthony at age ten, she later worked side by side with Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt. When women won the right to vote on August 18, 1920, Jessie became the first official woman lobbyist at the Capitol in Washington, D. C. She earlier helped establish the Pulitzer School of Journalism and set the first minimum wage for women. Jessie went on to live in London, where she shared the podium with George Bernard Shaw, attended parties with Emily Pankhurst, influenced Queen Mary, and met her lifelong friend, Lady Astor. Jessie later taught thousands of women the art of public speaking. She wrote "Time to Speak Up" and lectured alongside Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem, and Marlo Thomas. She spoke out for women's rights throughout her life and well into her nineties. Jessie Haver Butler was an extraordinary woman, who lived her life with a spirit of adventure and open-mindedness. She was a mother, wife, and active community member, and her story weaves these threads together to complete her compelling journey-from cowgirl to Congress.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

308 pages, Paperback

Published May 22, 2020

Reviews

[D. Thrush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in 1886, Jessie Haver Butler was ahead of her time. This is her memoir taken from her own words by her granddaughter. Jessie was a suffragist and the first woman lobbyist. She was ambitious and persistent. She had no desire to get married and, instead, started a cooperative living arrangement with friends, one of whom she eventually married. He joined government service, and they lived in London for 8 years. Jessie always managed to find interesting and influential friends, including George Bernard Shaw and Lady Astor. When they returned to the states, she began a career in public speaking and was soon teaching women to speak in public and literally wrote the book on it. There are many photos in the book. I had trouble with the eBook format, which differs from my other eBooks. I can’t change the font or screen color when I’m reading at night. It was a fascinating story, but the format made it difficult to read. There are so many women we know little about who paved the way for women. Jessie is one of them.

[Matt DeVore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was somewhat of a random book I selected to read. I hadn't studied much about this period of history. This ended up being an enchanting view into the life of a fascinating woman. She betters herself through education and persistence. There is an odd romance and a villainous hypnotic mother-in-law. The story goes from the US, to England and back again. She takes us through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. While I don't agree with her politics, I am thankful for the peek into her life during these fascinating periods of history.

[Maria Cherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content of this book is fascinating and informative, but the writing lacks depth and imagination. The author wrote the book as closely as she could to her Grandmother’s recorded and written versions of her life, so this may be why it read the way it did. Can’t say it was a great book, but I learned a great deal about women’s struggle for emancipation under the law.

[cindy l gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman with foresight and courage

A fascinating and engaging read! What an incredible life Jessie Butler led! Her life story should be in our history books. This book is a treasure and highly recommended. It won't disappoint!

[Alana Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a woman who grew up in Colorado and ended up in Washington. From the title I thought she served in Congress, but she actually taught speech writing and lessons in giving speeches to the wives of members of Congress.

The book reads like a diary with the most interesting parts taking place in England when her husband was posted there with the US government.

There's too much to cover in the short book, but it was interesting to learn about the Suffrage Movement from someone who wasn't famous, but worked with those who were.

[Mila Johansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining book full of surprising actual events in history that affect all women. Fly on the wall memoir of a woman who survived a tragic childhood on a Colorado cattle ranch to escape to college on the East Coast. With a star above her head, Jessie, entered the world stage and participated in many of the main historical events of the time. Her first job was to put together the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia. In her second job, she helped set the first minimum wage for women from $4 and hour to $8. Then she became the first woman lobbyist at the Capitol in D.C. working closely with Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt when women won the right to vote in 1920.

She spoke all over London, sharing the podium with Bernard Shaw. She later taught public speaking to Eleanor Roosevelt and thousands of women. In her early 90s, she shared the podium several times with Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas in Hollywood as the elder suffragette. Her extraordinary life is the story of all women winning the right to vote. Wow!