Great Speeches by American Women: Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, Geraldine Ferraro, Nancy Pelosi & others

by James Daley

From civil rights to the right to vote, women have spoken up and spoken out throughout American history. Brimming with great power and eloquence, here are twenty-one legendary speeches from the country's most inspirational female voices, including Jane Addams, Emma Goldman, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Spanning the centuries from 1851 to 2007, these are the rousing words that continue to endure in our nation's consciousness.
This distinguished collection includes these American women and their speeches: Sojourner Truth, "Ain’t I a Woman?" 1851; Susan B. Anthony, "On Behalf of the Woman Suffrage Amendment," 1880; Margaret Sanger, "A Moral Necessity of Birth Control," 1921; Mary McLeod Bethune, "A Century of Progress of Negro Women," 1933; Eleanor Roosevelt, "On the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," 1948; Shirley Chisholm, "People and Peace, Not Profits and War," 1969; Geraldine Ferraro, "Vice Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address," 1984; Gloria Steinem, "A Twenty-First Century Feminism," 2002; Nancy Pelosi, "Speech Upon Her Election as Speaker of the House," 2007, and many more unforgettable speeches by spirited and influential American women.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, History, Politics

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2007

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this lovely overview on an expected visit to Seneca Falls. I especially enjoyed Margaret Chase Smith's speech warning fellow Conservatives that they needed to think of the dangers of McCarthyism.

[Ami Nosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cozy and quick read, a number of diverse points of view from a good assortment of historical American woman. Each speech is a window into an era of our country's history, and a snapshot of her beliefs.

It's a great thumb guide to gain insight into each historical figure, and a good starting point to kick off learning about the impact each had.

The reader should be forewarned. Some of the viewpoints would be considered dated and offensive by today's standards. One example would be a speech that treated eugenics in a pre-World War II era as progressive. The reader needs to keep in mind that these speeches need to be taken as a window to see into the beliefs and politics of each era - no more and no less. To view all works as contemporary would be both anachronistic and offensive.

That said, women did shape our country, and their works and viewpoints are often overlooked. This is a great, quick read to look back, learn, and appreciate their contributions.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

These women were truly before their time. Their words still have great meaning today and are extremely motivating. Women such as: Sojourner Truth, Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisholm, Jane Fonda and Lucy Stone were trailblazers of women’s rights and feminism. This should be required reading for all high school students. TRULY EXCELLENT!

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid read, especially the speeches by women of the Suffrage Movement, but the pleas for birth control and other references to women's health issues were also interesting. Unexpurgated references to racial bias were admittedly challenging to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was eye-opening. I was surprised by how much I liked Jane Fonda's speech. I didn't agree with everything but there was a lot that I liked.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have liked more historical context and footnotes explaining some of the references the speakers were making, most of which went over my head.