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Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America's First Feminists
A new, more diverse generation of feminists is raising questions about how to effect change. Ask a Suffragist channels the first generation of American feminists for modern inspiration. Activists with urgent causes to support don’t have time to read dull history textbooks. Fortunately, American suffragists lived radical lives that were in no way boring. Instead of droning on like an encyclopedia about dates, meeting minutes and genealogy charts, Ask a Suffragist discusses relationships, strategies and activism, focusing on stories that are particularly relevant for modern feminist activists, whether for inspiration and emulation or to avoid repeating past mistakes. Each chapter considers a question today's feminists might ask the great feminists of the past, celebrating diversity instead of neatly pointing readers into one right way of living. After all, the passionate, inspired and flawed people who started the movement often disagreed with each other. What time periods are covered in America’s First Feminists? America’s First Feminists describes events that transpired during the 1830s through the 1860s, when the idea of equality for women was new and its supporters were vilified. Instead of laying out a comprehensive, strictly chronological history, Ask a Suffragist focuses on stories that are particularly relevant for modern intersectional feminist activists, whether for inspiration and emulation or to avoid repeating past mistakes. Does the book only cover the issue of voting rights? It discusses first wave feminism more broadly, including struggles toward abolition of slavery, racial justice, temperance, expansion of educational and professional opportunities for women, the advancement of feminist theology in churches and dress reform (the right to wear pants or bloomers instead of those exasperating dresses and petticoats). For example, the book highlights the work of Harriot Hunt and Elizabeth Blackwell to open the field of medicine to women, Antoinette Brown’s journey to become the first woman ordained as a Protestant minister, and how Sarah and Angelina Grimké defied their slave-holding background to become abolitionists. Who is that on the cover of America’s First Feminists? That is renowned feminist, abolitionist, poet and novelist, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Any other black women in America’s First Feminists? Yes. Women of color were vital to the first wave feminist movement. Among the women of color featured in America’s First Feminists are Maria W. Stewart, Sojourner Truth, Mary Ann Shadd Cary and the women of the Forten-Purvis family, to name a few. Any male feminists in America’s First Feminists? Yes. Some of the first Americans to support the first wave feminist movement were men, such as Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Lenox Remond, Henry B. Blackwell and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Are only Americans in the book? The book focuses on American first wave feminism, but the USA is a nation of immigrants and is heavily influenced by the rest of the world. Some of the women featured in America’s First Feminists, such as Ernestine Rose and Marie Zakrzewska, were immigrants to the United States. Some of the stories covered in America’s First Feminists transpired in other countries such as Germany, Poland, England and Canada. But does America’s First Feminists also include the most famous suffragists of the era? Of course. Within the pages of America’s First Feminists, you will get to know Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Santon and Lucy Stone as real people with personalities, strengths and flaws, going well beyond the facts you might find in an encyclopedia entry.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2019
5 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 10, 2019
“…the very qualities that make art powerful make it inherently risky. Art is vulnerable. When Julia Ward Howe started publishing her work, she revealed both her hidden virtues and her ugliest biases. Art is subjective. Each person will interpret its symbols differently, building new layers of meaning that do not always match the intent of the artist.” – Ask a Suffragist, p 120
The artistry and intelligence of the Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists cannot be debated; the book is simply brilliant. Not only is it brilliant, the content, style and research make it a “triple threat” in the world of books. The content is an important contribution to global history. Ms. Young Bennett’s emphasis is on the American women’s movement, but she includes imperative information on the companion anti-slavery / abolitionist movement, as well as important women who influenced the American suffragist movement from outside of the United States. This makes the book an important contribution to global women’s history as it shows that the progression of women knows no national boundaries.
The writing style is abundant with quotes from the women and men who were a part of the early American suffragette movement. This gift makes the writing feel personal and intimate. Testimonies and doubts of God and religion are discussed frankly, recovery from childbirth, economic survival, love stories and even the sometimes self-doubt of the women is shared through their public and private writings. These sentiments are relayed in such a manner that if felt as if I were reading personal emails from friends and family; I was completely enthralled, anxious to know what would happen next. Because of this feeling of intimacy, I was able to relate to these women as friends. I was anxious for them to succeed—succeed in raising their families, finding love, and being given a voice in their own lives.
In addition to the compelling content is the comprehensive research. Ms. Young Bennett’s generous citations make this a great resource for readers and students in and out of The Academy. Quite frankly, I think this book would be a brilliant addition to high school and university curriculum in anti-slavery and feminist history, and would serve a global audience keen on learning about the early American suffragist leaders. The term research sometimes implies a complicated thing to read. But this book reads as if it were a well-written novel. It is as engaging as it is smart…a book that was truly a struggle to put down!
In short, this book is well worth its purchase price. Each reader may come to their own conclusion in the early start of the women’s movement and come to their own conclusion, making this a work of literary art. The crafts(wo)manship in which this is written compliments the intellectual content, making this a treasured investment for the soul. I plan to read this to my daughters next for family bedtime reading—it is that beautiful and important, and I want to share this with them. You will want to share it with your family as well. The next book in the series is Activists Who Built a Movement. I cannot wait to read this next addition!
The artistry and intelligence of the Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists cannot be debated; the book is simply brilliant. Not only is it brilliant, the content, style and research make it a “triple threat” in the world of books. The content is an important contribution to global history. Ms. Young Bennett’s emphasis is on the American women’s movement, but she includes imperative information on the companion anti-slavery / abolitionist movement, as well as important women who influenced the American suffragist movement from outside of the United States. This makes the book an important contribution to global women’s history as it shows that the progression of women knows no national boundaries.
The writing style is abundant with quotes from the women and men who were a part of the early American suffragette movement. This gift makes the writing feel personal and intimate. Testimonies and doubts of God and religion are discussed frankly, recovery from childbirth, economic survival, love stories and even the sometimes self-doubt of the women is shared through their public and private writings. These sentiments are relayed in such a manner that if felt as if I were reading personal emails from friends and family; I was completely enthralled, anxious to know what would happen next. Because of this feeling of intimacy, I was able to relate to these women as friends. I was anxious for them to succeed—succeed in raising their families, finding love, and being given a voice in their own lives.
In addition to the compelling content is the comprehensive research. Ms. Young Bennett’s generous citations make this a great resource for readers and students in and out of The Academy. Quite frankly, I think this book would be a brilliant addition to high school and university curriculum in anti-slavery and feminist history, and would serve a global audience keen on learning about the early American suffragist leaders. The term research sometimes implies a complicated thing to read. But this book reads as if it were a well-written novel. It is as engaging as it is smart…a book that was truly a struggle to put down!
In short, this book is well worth its purchase price. Each reader may come to their own conclusion in the early start of the women’s movement and come to their own conclusion, making this a work of literary art. The crafts(wo)manship in which this is written compliments the intellectual content, making this a treasured investment for the soul. I plan to read this to my daughters next for family bedtime reading—it is that beautiful and important, and I want to share this with them. You will want to share it with your family as well. The next book in the series is Activists Who Built a Movement. I cannot wait to read this next addition!
June 4, 2019
If you have an interest in women's history or feminism, this book is a wonderful addition to others on the subject. It brings together the voices and stories of the suffragists who made forward strides for gender equality and ultimately triumphed in getting women the vote in the US in the early 20th century, though the stirrings of the movement began nearly a hundred years before. In this book, the author poses a set of questions that is as valid today as it was back in the early days of feminism, like how do we make our voices heard, what is men's role in feminism, how do we balance family life with activism, and how do we break the glass ceiling. In some of my own reading and documentary watching, I've become familiar what did deeper stories of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but some of the other women referenced in this book were less well-known to me; I enjoyed learning both about their perspectives on feminism and their lives.
For each question, the author begins with quotes and then an extended essay that draws upon the lives and the activism of the suffragists using a lot of their own words (and others about them), pulling from their public and private writing. I found many of these stories, like the courtship of Lucy Stone, the Bloomers, and the first National Woman’s Rights Convention, quite compelling. Like us, these women lived complex lives, and they struggled against a society that vilified them and tried to make them go away. While women’s lot has much improved, there is still so much that needs to be done for true equality, as the current fight for equal wages for equal work and for respectful treatment in the workplace and beyond will attest.
The author has done an incredible amount of research. There are just shy of a thousand citation notes! Using so much of the living record adds an immediacy to this work that makes it more than just essays on feminist questions. Instead, it brings us into the real lives and work of these path-breaking women. The author does include a timeline in the back, which is handy.
Whether you have an interest in feminism from a historical standpoint or from what it could mean to us today, you will most likely find much of interest in this well-researched and inspiring book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
For each question, the author begins with quotes and then an extended essay that draws upon the lives and the activism of the suffragists using a lot of their own words (and others about them), pulling from their public and private writing. I found many of these stories, like the courtship of Lucy Stone, the Bloomers, and the first National Woman’s Rights Convention, quite compelling. Like us, these women lived complex lives, and they struggled against a society that vilified them and tried to make them go away. While women’s lot has much improved, there is still so much that needs to be done for true equality, as the current fight for equal wages for equal work and for respectful treatment in the workplace and beyond will attest.
The author has done an incredible amount of research. There are just shy of a thousand citation notes! Using so much of the living record adds an immediacy to this work that makes it more than just essays on feminist questions. Instead, it brings us into the real lives and work of these path-breaking women. The author does include a timeline in the back, which is handy.
Whether you have an interest in feminism from a historical standpoint or from what it could mean to us today, you will most likely find much of interest in this well-researched and inspiring book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
September 13, 2019
By Spunky
“…the very qualities that make art powerful make it inherently risky. Art is vulnerable. When Julia Ward Howe started publishing her work, she revealed both her hidden virtues and her ugliest biases. Art is subjective. Each person will interpret its symbols differently, building new layers of meaning that do not always match the intent of the artist.” – Ask a Suffragist, p 120
The artistry and intelligence of the Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists cannot be debated; the book is simply brilliant. Not only is it brilliant, the content, style and research make it a “triple threat” in the world of books. The content is an important contribution to global history. Ms. Young Bennett’s emphasis is on the American women’s movement, but she includes imperative information on the companion anti-slavery / abolitionist movement, as well as important women who influenced the American suffragist movement from outside of the United States. This makes the book an important contribution to global women’s history as it shows that the progression of women knows no national boundaries.
The writing style is abundant with quotes from the women and men who were a part of the early American suffragette movement. This gift makes the writing feel personal and intimate. Testimonies and doubts of God and religion are discussed frankly, recovery from childbirth, economic survival, love stories and even the sometimes self-doubt of the women is shared through their public and private writings. These sentiments are relayed in such a manner that if felt as if I were reading personal emails from friends and family; I was completely enthralled, anxious to know what would happen next. Because of this feeling of intimacy, I was able to relate to these women as friends. I was anxious for them to succeed—succeed in raising their families, finding love, and being given a voice in their own lives.
To continue reading: https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
“…the very qualities that make art powerful make it inherently risky. Art is vulnerable. When Julia Ward Howe started publishing her work, she revealed both her hidden virtues and her ugliest biases. Art is subjective. Each person will interpret its symbols differently, building new layers of meaning that do not always match the intent of the artist.” – Ask a Suffragist, p 120
The artistry and intelligence of the Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists cannot be debated; the book is simply brilliant. Not only is it brilliant, the content, style and research make it a “triple threat” in the world of books. The content is an important contribution to global history. Ms. Young Bennett’s emphasis is on the American women’s movement, but she includes imperative information on the companion anti-slavery / abolitionist movement, as well as important women who influenced the American suffragist movement from outside of the United States. This makes the book an important contribution to global women’s history as it shows that the progression of women knows no national boundaries.
The writing style is abundant with quotes from the women and men who were a part of the early American suffragette movement. This gift makes the writing feel personal and intimate. Testimonies and doubts of God and religion are discussed frankly, recovery from childbirth, economic survival, love stories and even the sometimes self-doubt of the women is shared through their public and private writings. These sentiments are relayed in such a manner that if felt as if I were reading personal emails from friends and family; I was completely enthralled, anxious to know what would happen next. Because of this feeling of intimacy, I was able to relate to these women as friends. I was anxious for them to succeed—succeed in raising their families, finding love, and being given a voice in their own lives.
To continue reading: https://www.the-exponent.com/book-rev...
July 17, 2019
This was a fantastic read. It's all about the lessons we can learn from the early suffragists in America and some of the hard/easy fights they had (just kidding, they were all hard). It covers topics like "what is a man's role in feminism" and "where does the church figure in" and so on. It was disappointing and a little frustrating to read that so many of the same fights we fight today were there hundreds of years ago, but it was also fascinating to read how many original suffragists struggled with the same issues women do today (how to balance it all comes to mind). The book covers a huge timespan and is told in an engaging and fun style. It does jump around a bit which made it hard to keep all the main people straight, but I feel like I learned so much it was worth it. I bought the kindle version but I'll be buying the hard copy at some point so I can have it on my bookshelf for my kids to read. I would LOVE to read this as a book group and discuss it. A quick read with a powerful punch.
September 17, 2025
This book is a powerful, eye-opening tribute to the trailblazing women (and men) who built the foundation of American feminism. I loved how each chapter poses questions that feel strikingly relevant today while weaving in vivid stories from the 1830s–1860s. The mix of well-known figures and unsung heroes made the history feel rich and alive. I closed it inspired and grateful for the courage of those who fought for equality long before us.
June 2, 2019
This is a powerful and deeply-needed resource for bringing back the wisdom of these of these incredible women who changed our world. Woven together here with context and courage, the lives and work of these brilliant women come shining through the well-written, entertaining and accessible prose to delight and challenge scholars and "regular readers" alike. Highly recommended, crucial reading.
June 8, 2019
This book is a fascinating look at the early history of some of the women and men who birthed the suffrage movement in the United States. This is a well researched book. I loved reading the actual quotes of the early suffragists as their stories were told. The lives of these courageous and forward thinking women have been hidden in the shadows far too long. This is a must read for all those who love history and more importantly for those who champion equal opportunity for women. We still have a long way to go.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews