The centennial celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment might have passed, but there is still plenty to learn about this fascinating civil rights movement that enfranchised millions of Americans.
Women Win the Vote: 19 for the 19th Amendment, by Nancy B. Kennedy.
An attractive young adult offering that maps the lives of 19 women who fought for woman suffrage. Ms. Kennedy offers an overview of the movement through profiles of iconic figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt, and lesser-known heroines, such as Mary Ann Shad Cary. Colorful illustrations by Katy Dockrill add just the right mix to attract the hard-to-reach young adult market. Sidebars offer additional information. Published by W.W. Norton. 2020.
Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Susan Ware.
Ware also focuses on the lives of nineteen women, most of whom have been overlooked by history, including Rose Schneiderman, who worked as a labor activist and suffragist to win better working conditions through the vote, and African-American Mary Church Terrell. The accomplishments of these little-known heroines bring a fresh perspective to what could be an old story. Ware also worked as a commentator on the PBS special The Vote. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2019.
Suffrage and the City: New York Women Battle for the Ballot, by Lauren C. Santangelo.
Santangelo focuses on the battle in New York State that succeeded three years before the ratification of the national Amendment, a triumph that ultimately fulfilled the hope that success in New York would “tip the balance” in the amendment’s favor. Information about less famous suffragists such as Lillie Devereux Blake and Mariana Chapman enlivens the story. Oxford University Press. 2019.