Older sister Harriet Beecher Stowe was the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Brother Henry Ward Beecher was one of the nation's most influential ministers. Their sibling Catharine Beecher wrote pivotal works on women's rights and educational reform. And then there was Isabella Beecher Hooker- "a curiously modern nineteenth-century figure." Tempest-Tossed is the first full biography of the passionate, fascinating youngest daughter of the "Fabulous Beechers"...

Undoubtedly the most influential advocate for birth control even before the term existed, Margaret Sanger ignited a movement that has shaped our society to this day. Her views on reproductive rights have made her a frequent target of conservatives and so-called family values activists. Yet lately even progressives have shied away from her, citing socialist leanings and a purported belief in eugenics as a blight on her accomplishments. In this captivating...

A story of two twentieth-century American women whose love for each other fueled their work to create an egalitarian world. Developing their rhetorical skills in early-twentieth-century women's organizations, Anna Rochester and Grace Hutchins, life partners and heirs to significant wealth, aimed for revolution rather than reform. They lived frugally while devoting themselves to several organizations in succession, including the Episcopal Church and...

"All her life, Eleanor Roosevelt hoped to "leave some mark upon the world." She was a shy child who found joy in helping others. A passionate young adult who longed for adventure. An independent young woman who formed her own opinions. A trustworthy partner who worked tirelessly for change. So when her husband became president and she became first lady, Eleanor was ready to make her mark. With characteristic candor, compassion, and courage, she traversed...

A key organizer in the early American union movement of the late 1800s, Mother Jones encouraged many groups of American workers to stand up for their rights in the face of larger-than-life foes like Carnegie and Rockefeller, becoming a powerful symbol in her own time as well as in the civil rights movements of the 1960s and '70s. Author and professor Cordery (British Friendly Societies, 1750-1918) has produced an exhaustive biography of Mary Harris...

"Susan Burton's world changed in an instant when her five-year-old son was killed by a van driving down their street. Consumed by grief and without access to professional help, Susan self-medicated, becoming addicted first to cocaine, then crack. As a resident of South Los Angeles, a black community under siege in the War on Drugs, it was but a matter of time before Susan was arrested. She cycled in and out of prison for over fifteen years; never...

Shares the stories of remarkable women who shaped American history between 1796 and 1828, including Dolley Madison, Theodosia Burr, and Sacajawea.

Following the life of a charismatic woman committed to reform, The Pragmatic Ideal provides an introduction to the politics that dominated the early decades of the twentieth century, ideas that are the basis for much of today's progressive thought. As one of the "New Women" who came of age, during the Progressive Era, Mary Field Parton, a close friend of Clarence Darrow, pursued social justice as a settlement house worker and as a leading writer on...