The Ladies of Seneca Falls: The Birth of the Woman's Rights Movement

by Miriam Gurko

An account of the feminist movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries focusing on Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Feminism, Social Movements

328 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1974

Reviews

[Celina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice readable overview of the 19th-century origins of the movement for women’s rights in the US. A lot of real estate is given to profiles of individual women, one long chapter to the Seneca Falls Convention that kicked off the movement in 1848, and later chapters to internal dynamics and political episodes in the movement over the second half of the century including interactions with anti-slavery and temperance. Having lived in upstate New York at one point, in one of the towns mentioned in this book, and not having been particularly impressed, it’s striking to realize how vital the area once was to the debates that changed a nation. There are no footnotes in the book but there’s a bibliography I look forward to digging into. The writing is slightly awkward in places, but the book is stuffed with facts and highly readable.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book that goes through the trials & tribulations of the women's rights movement. There are characters in this book that I never realized were even involved. It's such an important part of history & they go through different women's points of view. The suffragettes made such a difference & it's interesting to see how it all unfolded.

[Patrick Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of the fight for women's equality, beginning with the 1848 meeting in Seneca Falls. The lives of so many women (and some men) who fought for not only the vote, but also for equal rights across the board were eye opening for me. I thought the fight started with Betty Friedan. How wrong I was. A wonderful book.

[Jenny Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this was published in 1974, it holds up very well, as it is a history of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s. I was supposed to read this in college but didn’t. Glad I went back to it, um, about 25 years later. It’s so important for women, especially, to learn that they aren’t reinventing the wheel, but rather being passed the torch from earlier generations.

[T. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[b bb bbbb bbbbbbbb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Learned so much about the history of the women's rights movement and the social restrictions and limitations that women experienced in the 1800's. Truly inspiring to see the bravery, vision, dedication, intelligence and patience with which the participants in the movement carried it forward.

It breathes life and character into central figures of the movement, and helps to better appreciate their struggle and achievement. It's fascinating to see how white men attempted to pit the feminist, women's rights movement against the slavery abolitionist movement. Some of this is may be old or familiar news for those who have had the benefit of a women's studies program in college, but for me it was a great dose of history and inspiration.

Binary gender is pretty deeply embedded in the book's outlook and delivery. It would have been nice to see some discussion on that topic considering gender roles, and to a lesser extent sexuality, are important topics and focal points of the book.

I've added a couple quotes, but GoodReads only shows them on the author page (even though they are linked to this book) and the page for my individual review of the book.

Here is a link to the review, they're at the bottom.

Full review and (with quotes?) worthy of the book will hopefully to come in a little bit.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A resident at TLOC gave me this book to read. Very interesting book on the Birth of the Woman's Rights Movement. I am so glad I read this book! It reminds us of how far we've come and how far we still have to go. As women, we need to not take our rights for granted. We deserve to go after any dreams we have, like anyone else and not let stereotypes hold us back. So many have broken the mold and were true to their convictions. Now, anytime I hear of a historical woman or a current event around society, this book gives me a greater basis to understand the amazement of it all. All men and women should read this book!

[Lauren Coonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I don't regularly read history books for pleasure. The book follows the women's rights movements starting from its infancy when "defining the problem was in some ways as difficult to solving it" to Elizabeth Cady Stanton recognition that the right to vote would make little difference if women didn't demand for equality "in the college, home, trades, professions, literature, religion, and civil law." This books did an excellent job in describing the early movement and the amazing women that pushed for it.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, accessible introduction to the key women involved in the birth of the women's rights movement, which also was closely aligned in many cases with abolition and temperance. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott and other standouts are summarized.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little gem to read during March, Women's History Month. It gave a good overview of the movement from colonial times to present. The focus is on the Seneca Falls participants and all they had to endure in their quest for the right to vote.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great historical novel about the beginning of the Woman's Rights movement. Very interesting!

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the women in the early women's movement were very brave!

[Blaise Kyrios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely amazing. Learning about these brave women gave me courage. An easy and interesting read.