Feminist Revolution: A Story of the Three Most Inspiring and Empowering Women in American History: Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger, and Betty Friedan

by Jules Archer, Naomi Wolf (Foreword)

Today, feminism is as important as ever. Betty Friedan’s musings, “to take the actions needed to bring women into the mainstream of American society, now; full equality for women, in fully equal partnership with men,” still hold fervently true in current society. Young readers still fighting for equality today need to know how the movement began years ago, with such basics as the right to vote, the right to birth control, and the right to equal employment. Leading historian Jules Archer’s account offers fascinating biographies of Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger, and Betty Friedan, with a full background of the political organizations they worked for and against.Forty-four percent of general American history books do not even mention the struggle for women’s suffrage, and 65 percent fail to record the name of Susan B. Anthony. Even more young readers have never heard the names of Margaret Sanger and Betty Friedan. As far as most of these books are concerned, women are invisible in American history. But these women dared to defy convention, at great personal risk, for the cause of sexual and gender equality. Their stories must be remembered. With a new foreword by feminist author Naomi Wolf, The Feminist Revolution relies heavily on letters, diaries, and other personal forms of communication to tell the story of women’s rights in this country. Part of Sky Pony Press’s revitalization of the Jules Archer History for Young Readers, series, this book is a must-read introduction to the Feminist Revolution for all young adults.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, History, Womens, Politics

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2015

About the author

Jules Archer was an American author who wrote many volumes of non-fiction history for a general audience and for young adults.

Archer served four years during World War II with the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater. He is the author of many books on U.S. history, political events, and personalities, including The Plot to Seize the White House: The Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR, and Jungle Fighters: A G.I. War Correspondent's Experiences in the New Guinea Campaign.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about Susan Anthony, Margaret Sanger, and Betty Friedan in this well written and well documented book. We owe a huge thanks to them for tirelessly and bravely revolting against the thinking, attitudes, and laws of their day. Even more action is needed to bring full equality to women and to have fully equal partnerships with men, but we wouldn't be anywhere near as close to that today without their work. Their work should be included in every American History textbook.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in honor of the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment.
The book was a hard read, primarily because of the animosity and push back that these women had to deal with in order to give a voice to women and allow us to be seen. We are not second class. We are not property. We are not a means to an end (simply relegated as child bearers/carers). We are not a footnote in history.
Do I agree with all of the approaches to get to where we are right now? No, but change is messy and I am thankful for those who forge the unpopular path to fight for our rights.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jules Archer does a great job at showcasing three prominent pioneers of the women’s revolution. Starting with Susan B. Anthony, the book reveals how women struggled to attain the vote from the mid 18th century up until its enactment in 1920. Anthony was a trailblazer that defied classical feminine stereotypes by being rebellious and unrelenting in her fight for both the abolitionist movement and the women’s suffrage. Margret Sanger is also shown as a prominent figure in women’s rights. Through her fight with Comstock laws and widely dispersed contraceptives, Sanger lead the way in allowing women to take back power in family planning. Sanger was also an integral part in helping countries around the world slow their population growth to account for limited resources. Her unrelenting fight for wide spread information on birth control helped women and families of all statuses plan for their family’s future. The final figure shown is Betty Friedan, who is popularly know for her book The Feminine Mystique. Her work to break down the stereotypical portrayal of women allowed many to feel empowered in the workplace and envision a life outside of homemaking. Friedan was active in the National Organization for Women which advocated for women’s rights in the workplace, in the right to choose, and other causes of the women’s liberation movement. Friedan stood as a powerful reminder that women and minorities should not be treated as second class citizens and that women’s rights were human rights. The book shows where the women’s movement is heading and the progress that has been made as well as the hurdles that must still be overcome. It puts in perspective the rights given to women in countries all around the world and the work that the U.S. and other countries have still to conquer. The book is great for young and older women (and men) who would like to know more about where our rights have come from and the people we have to thank for them.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally caught off guard in how basic and practical their demands were, how committed they were to their causes (in spite of multiple setbacks), their willingness to regroup and refocus their energy to move their cause forward. I could appreciate Susan B. Anthony’s frustration with Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s commitment to her family, without appreciating the dilemma of Stanton’s dual obligations/responsibilities. It was intriguing to see the evolutions of their positions over three lifetimes, and the different focus each had, which were interrelated but different in a more progressive way.

A 1989 New York Times poll (was interesting though rather dated in 2023) found the most women complained the American society has still not changed enough to let women compete with men on an equal basis (their careers were uppermost in their minds). However, today many young men accept the ideas of sexual equality and with the need for two incomes to make ends meet. That young men are willing to support feminist demands, along with feminist realizing that they need male support to meet those demands. Thereby no longer seeing men as the enemy, they recognize the need to strive for better family and work lifestyles for both sexes. Even though the women’s expectations had not been achieved, at that time, at least the younger men were acknowledging the realities that the current economy was naturally bringing about change (at least in their perspective).

I loved the quote by Professor Mary Daley opinion on sex discrimination (in relation to promotions) at Boston College, she stated that “For a radical feminist to try and change the church, was like a black trying to reform the Ku Klux Klan.”

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the history of three feminist icons and the times they impacted and lived in. While it’s certainly not super in-depth, in terms of both the women and the history, it provides a great basis that I realized I was lacking! It is engaging to read, though the final section is a bit ho-hum as it was written thirty years ago now. I found this book in the young adult section of the library and Archer is heralded as a non-fiction author for young people, but I would never have guessed that this book was intended for young audiences!

[Ida Marie]

This book was amazing and great at displaying the difficulties that Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger, and Betty Friedan had to endure while fighting for their causes. However, I was a little dissapointed that Margaret Sangers fight for birth control was only mentioned and not her negative tendency to be racist and an advocator for eugenics.

[Mariah Oleszkowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good quick overview of the last 200 years of the woman's movement. Hard to believe this was written for kids though - especially with the emphasis on how conservative christians resist woman's rights. It did a good job of showing the progression of each era and how the crusades of one era helped to change the laws in the next.

[Cdovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating to see what sacrifices were made by these women so that today women in America have more choices and more rights.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it was a busy time and I never got to finish it when it was returned to the library.