The story of Leeds is bound up in the stories of its women workers. But what were conditions like for ordinary women, and how did their lives change in the hundred years between 1850 and 1950? Who were the women who toiled in the mills, factories and sweatshops that transformed the city’s landscape? Where and how did they live? What did they do in their leisure time? What happened to them when they needed medical care? What did the campaign for suffrage mean in real-life terms for the women who had no vote and whose voices have rarely been heard? In Leeds, the campaign for suffrage was set against a backdrop of industry that relied on women workers for whom hardship was a fact of life. As the campaign for votes for women gained traction from the 1860s, social and political reformers and activists worked to improve conditions not just in industry, but in schools, hospitals and in the opportunities available to women and girls. Some of the women, like the prominent suffragette Leonora Cohen and Leeds’ first female MP, Alice Bacon, are still talked about, but the city’s history is full of the stories of exceptional, inspirational women who in their own ways did their bit, broke the mould, and refused to fit into proscribed roles. In doing so, they opened the door for women to achieve some of the freedoms we now take for granted. This new, fully illustrated book brings them back from obscurity and lets their voices to heard.

Much has been written about the men of Wakefield, but apart from a couple of well-documented individuals, the women of Wakefield have remained largely ignored. Yet many women in this prosperous West Riding town worked hard to improve their lives and those of other women. Whether this was healthcare, housing, working conditions or providing refuge and training so that girls with no means of support could be made fit for employment, Wakefield’s women worked separately and together to achieve their mutual goals. Some were active campaigners and lobbyists, others chose vocations that quietly improved the lives of the women around them. Struggle and Suffrage in Wakefield uses historical newspaper articles, minutes of meetings, annual reports, first-hand stories and research into census returns to illustrate how women’s lives changed over a 100 year period and reveal some of those Wakefield women whose influence made things happen.

In their own voices, the full story of the women and men who struggled to make American democracy whole With a record number of female candidates in the 2020 election and women's rights an increasingly urgent topic in the news, it's crucial that we understand the history that got us where we are now. For the first time, here is the full, definitive story of the movement for voting rights for American women, of every race, told through the voices of the women and men who lived it. Here are the most recognizable figures in the campaign for women's suffrage, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but also the black, Chinese, and American Indian women and men who were not only essential to the movement but expanded its directions and aims. Here, too, are the anti-suffragists who worried about where the country would head if the right to vote were universal. Expertly curated and introduced by scholar Susan Ware, each piece is prefaced by a headnote so that together these 100 selections by over 80 writers tell the full history of the movement--from Abigail Adams to the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 and the limiting of suffrage under Jim Crow. Importantly, it carries the story to 1965, and the passage of the Voting and Civil Rights Acts, which finally secured suffrage for all American women. Includes writings by Ida B. Wells, Mabel Lee, Margaret Fuller, Sojourner Truth, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Frederick Douglass, presidents Grover Cleveland on the anti-suffrage side and Woodrow Wilson urging passage of the Nineteenth Amendment as a wartime measure, Jane Addams, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, among many others.

A history of the women’s movement in Sheffield, England in the twentieth century, examining how women’s roles evolved during and between the world wars. This book looks into the role of women of Sheffield and how it has evolved from the powerlessness of a woman involved in a wife sale, to the achievement of the election of its first female Lord Mayor. Using newspapers of the period, archive material and modern photographs, Struggle and Suffrage in Sheffield examines how the role of women slowly changed in the city. It also highlights the militancy of the Sheffield suffragettes who not only organised demonstrations in Sheffield, but also sent groups to take part in some of the most notorious demonstrations in London. Following these demonstrations several local women were badly manhandled by police before being arrested and sent to Holloway Prison. Adela Pankhurst tried at first to bring the women of the Sheffield WSPU to achieve the vote through peaceful means, only when the Conciliation Bill of June 1910 was dropped, did she then encourage them to take more militant action. Following the outbreak of both world wars the women of Sheffield worked in the steelworks making munitions. They worked day and night shifts as bombs were falling about them, but when both wars ended they were abruptly dismissed, as the men returned to take up their former jobs. Only following a meeting with PM Gordon Brown and the erection of a bronze statue of Women of Steel in 2016, did Sheffield women truly get the acknowledgment they deserved.

An in-depth history of women who lived, worked, and fought for the vote in the town surrounding Windsor Castle. At drawing room meetings, debates, and rallies, suffragists in Windsor—home to Britain’s royal family—fought not just for the right to put a cross on a ballot paper but to help put an end to some of the shocking injustices women faced, some of which were especially felt in Windsor at that time. It was no easy task—they came up against fierce opposition, ridicule, and rage, with one newspaper saying Windsor was the town in which the suffragettes were “most cordially hated.” From Queen Victoria to Princess Elizabeth, the women of Windsor have played a major role in shaping this country. But what of the lesser-known women? In this book, the untold and often intertwined stories of the rich and famous are brought together with those of domestic staff, nuns, nurses, school teachers, mothers, shopkeepers, beggars, and prostitutes, who all played a part in a century of extraordinary social changes. What was it like to be a female resident of the workhouse? Or the lady who founded a home for destitute and “fallen” women? The lady who allowed her home to be used as a hospital in WWI and the nurses who worked there? For those who lived in the cholera-infested Victorian slums and the women evacuated to Windsor with their children during WWII? And those who campaigned tirelessly to improve women’s rights and get the vote? This book provides a fascinating, behind-the-scenes insight into women’s lives above and below stairs in this unique microcosm of Britain.

Women of the Suffrage Movement: Memoirs & Biographies of the Most Influential Suffragettes is a compelling anthology that brings together the diverse voices of seminal figures in the suffrage movement. Within its pages, readers will encounter a range of literary styles, from impassioned speeches to reflective memoirs, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the struggle for women's voting rights. This collection not only highlights the individual tenacity and collective power of these women but also situates their contributions within a broader literary and socio-political context, showcasing the evolution of feminist thought and activism over time. The inclusion of key texts, such as Stantons Declaration of Sentiments and Pankhursts accounts of militant action, underscores the diversity of strategies employed in the fight for equality. The authors and editors, each a luminary in her own right, hail from varied backgrounds but share a common dedication to the cause of womens suffrage. Their collective works not only document the historical and cultural shifts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries but also align with broader movements for social justice, including civil rights and feminist theory. Together, their narratives provide a multidimensional view of the suffrage movement, highlighting the intersectionality of the fight for gender equality. This anthology is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the suffrage movement, feminist studies, or gender history. It offers readers the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the personal and political journeys of these pioneering women. Through its curated selection of writings, the collection fosters a deeper understanding of the sacrifices, triumphs, and enduring legacy of the women who fought tirelessly for their right to vote. Women of the Suffrage Movement is more than a historical record; it is a catalyst for ongoing dialogue and reflection on the pursuit of equality and justice.

This book is produced by women's suffrage leaders: the Great Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage & Ida Husted Harper. It presents the complete history of the women's suffrage movement, primarily in the United States. This edition presents the major source for primary documentation about the women's suffrage movement from its beginnings through the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which enfranchised women in the U.S. in 1920. In addition to the remarkable history of suffrage movements this collection is enriched with the biographies of the most influential figures of American movement for women's suffrage: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Anna Howard Shaw, Jane Addams, Lucy Stone, Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul.