"Written to coincide with the centennial of the 19th Amendment, this important book reminds us that the familiar stories of women's suffrage are woefully incomplete. . . . An essential work; highly recommended for scholars of the period and general readers interested in women's history." --Library Journal

The story of the fight for woman suffrage is a familiar one. We know the names of the leading suffragists—Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt. We remember that suffrage was finally won via the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. But those facts are only part of the story. This lecture reveals the hidden histories of the Native American, Chinese American, African American, and Hispana suffragists who not only challenged women’s inequality but also fought against the racial prejudices of the age. They marched in parades, debated with national suffrage leaders, and met with presidents and other politicians. They insisted that women in their communities also deserved the vote. For some of them, the ratification of the woman suffrage amendment in 1920 was a moment of celebration. But for others it was not the end of their fight for equality. It offers a revealing look at an inspiring new history of woman suffrage.

Purchase a copy of the book on Bookshop.org

This event is open to the public, registration required. Zoom information will be sent out the day of the event to the email address provided during registration.

About the Author:

Cathleen D. Cahill received her PhD at the University of Chicago. She taught at the University of New Mexico for thirteen years before moving to Penn State where she is now an associate professor of History. She is the author of Recasting the Vote: How Women of Color Transformed the Suffrage Movement (University of North Carolina Press 2020). Her first book, Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social History of the United States Indian Service, 1869-1933 (UNC 2011), won the Labriola Center for American Indian National Book Award and was finalist for the David J. Weber and Bill Clements Book Prize. This year she co-edited a special suffrage issue for the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era with Kimberly Hamlin and Crystal Feimster. She is also steering committee chair for the Coalition for Western Women's History.