She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next

by Bridget Quinn, Nell Irvin Painter (Foreword)

She Votes is an intersectional story of the women who won suffrage, and those who have continued to raise their voices for equality ever since.

From the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation to the first woman to wear pants on the Senate floor, author Bridget Quinn shines a spotlight on the women who broke down barriers.

This deluxe book also honors the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment with illustrations by 100 women artists.

• A colorful, intersectional account of the struggle for women's rights in the United States
• Features heart-pounding scenes and keenly observed portraits
• Includes dynamic women from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Audre Lorde

She Votes is a refreshing and illuminating book for feminists of all kinds.

Each artist brings a unique perspective; together, they embody the multiplicity of women in the United States.

• From the pen of rockstar author and historian Bridget Quinn, this book tells the story of women's suffrage.
• Perfect gift for feminists of all ages and genders who want to learn more about the 19th amendment and the journey to equal representation
• A visually gorgeous book that will be at home on the shelf or on the coffee table
• Add it to the shelf with books like Notorious The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik; Rad American Women Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl; and Why I Images from The Women's March Around the World by Abrams Books.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Womens, Social Justice, American History

232 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2020

About the author

Bridget Quinn is author of She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next – illustrated by 100 women artists in honor of the centenary of the 19th Amendment – and the award-winning Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order), published by Chronicle Books in 2017. Broad Strokes has been translated into four languages and selected for the Amelia Bloomer Book List of recommended feminist literature by the American Library Association. A graduate of New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts and a regular contributor to online arts magazine Hyperallergic, Quinn is a sought-after speaker on women and art. She is an avid sports fan and Iron(wo)man triathlete, and her Narrative magazine essay “At Swim, Two Girls” was included in The Best American Sports Writing 2013. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, dogs, and too many bikes.

Reviews

[A.H. Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haiku review:
Words and art delight
Suffragettes and riot grrls
Still not equal yet

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM OBSESSED. Everyone must read this book. I mean EVERYONE. I mean MUST. 6/5 stars I kid you not. It fills me with a fire that this book isn't mainstream. I accidentally stumbled upon it at the end of summer 2020 in a local Chicago shop. I admit (as you can tell by the fact that's it's now March 2021) that it took me a while to actually read this book. I started it as soon as I got it but I had so many other books I needed to read. Thank goodness I finally made this a priority.

She Votes by Bridget Quinn not only broaches a topic that we barely glossed over in our history classes, but brings to light so many aspects of women's suffrage that most people have never known. Oh, and let's be clear, this is not your average history book. Quinn's voice comes through on every page. It's like having a conversation with a friend. I mean, have you ever read a history book that refers to someone as an asshat? No? This book calls out how the feminist movement across centuries blatantly disregarded the interests of Natives, blacks, lesbians - really, any woman who wasn't white, cis, and hetero - and highlights the incredible minority women who impacted feminist gains throughout history. Parts of this book had me literally applauding. For example, keep an eye out for the bananas...you'll know it when you read it ;) The last chapter had me in absolute tears. It took me probably three times longer than it should have to read because my eyes were too blurry to see the words on the pages. The traumas that our young people have already faced, and the strength they exhibit in advocating for themselves, even though they are not yet old enough to speak by way of the vote. I know this is offered as an audiobook but *please* don't go that route. The artwork is just as important as the narrative.

[Rebekah Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s informative and acknowledges how disenfranchised BIWOC were even with the passing of the amendment and still are, it’s just the informal conversation-like writing bugs me a bit. If you can glance over it, a really nice refresher on women’s history.

Edit: I need to add more because it is so racist how many people look up to the pioneers of women's suffrage like Cady Stanton, Anthony, and Mott and forget that women of color were not invited to the Seneca Falls Convention. How they demanded women, white women, obtain suffrage before black men. How Audre Lorde, years later, would still be fighting over how she has to overcome both her sex and her race for equal treatment. I'm thinking of how many women flock to Susan B. Anthony's grave with their "I Voted!" stickers and how many of them must be white and/or not care about the people excluded from the movement. White women putting themselves first and thinking they are the best really goes back that far, and of course even farther. It's great there was a movement, but would it really have been so terrible to demand the inclusion of the black/Indigenous communities in the amendment?

[Courtney]

This is a well-researched, informative book about women’s suffrage, complete with beautiful illustrations throughout. I knew a bit about the history of women gaining the right to vote and their progress and setbacks in the political world since then, but I loved getting a more thorough overview of the topic highlighting many of the trailblazers over the course of the last century.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Such an important and informative read - especially this close to the election. It was well researched and I appreciated the gorgeous illustrations coupled with fascinating stories that have rarely come to the mainstream. While it chronicles suffrage from a historical perspective, it also includes stories of women living today who are dedicated to gender equality. In no way was this a dry history of women's suffrage, rather it was colorful, diverse, and accessible. Highly recommend.

[Liz Cymanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fun read, cool art, learned some thing, slightly inspired

[Katie Gainey-West · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to start off the year, especially an insane election year. I learned so much about women gaining the right to vote as well as other injustices that I was completely unaware of. This book was informative and the artwork was excellent!

[Jane Lancellotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

She Votes sang a strong song to my old feminist heart. Friends, we are led by these stories. So important to know these women, to talk about them, and share. Smartly put together. A joy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*A digital copy of She Votes was provided to me through NetGalley. Thank you to Chronicle Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
**This book also marks 500 books read and logged on Goodreads. What a fantastic book to hit that milestone with! (I am also very aware that I am the first Goodreads reviewer for this book! Wild!)

Having just graduated college, where I studied politics, history, and women's and gender studies, much of this history I knew or knew of through my studies. What is presented in this book is a well synthesized survey of suffrage and feminism in the United States. Quinn doesn't sugarcoat historical figures or paint them as saints, but rather takes the time to point out their flaws and where they were wrong (see: Alice Paul not wanting black women to march in her suffrage parade). Quinn also does a great job of spotlighting many different voices and women from completely different socioeconomic and professional backgrounds. There were a few times I wondered "oh, I hope she'll mention or discuss X" and it would always be on the next page! Quinn's language is accessible throughout, making this a great read for teens and young adults, but also adult readers wanting to celebrate the successes of women in the US.

In addition to the narrative, the book is also full of gorgeous art by women artists. Each piece was beautiful and it was always exciting to turn the page and wonder what art would be next.

This book concluded wonderfully, and it was exactly what I needed. I imagine it will be what other readers need as well. I'm really looking forward to see others reading this book!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suffragists Past and Feminists Present

The first thing you notice about this book is how colorful it is. We don't normally think about colorful illustrations in a serious book meant for adults, but I think it adds a really nice touch. This book takes a look at the history of the suffragist movement from its earliest days, looking at key people that you have heard of and a few that you might not have associated with the suffragist movement, as well as how we carry on their spirit today. I like that the author added her own little commentary here and there. This is no dry history book. I particularly liked reading the story of Mary Cassatt as I had no idea of some details shared; I had always just been a fan of her artwork, as I am a big fan of the Impressionists in general and liked that she cracked the boys’ club, so to speak. I appreciated learning about not only the movers and shakers of feminism’s distant past but also ones who have lived (and are living) within my lifetime, women who are fully stuck into continuing the work of gender equality through to contemporary times. Given that it is an election year as I write this review, the choice of the title resonates with me. We need to remember how hard our foremothers (and even some forefathers) fought for our right to let our voices be heard in the political world, allowing us to help shape our country’s future. Let's make sure that we honor their struggle and sacrifice, and let our voices be heard, loud and proud, at this and every election.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridget Quinn writes in a very accessible way speaking directly to readers and using colorful language. So this is not your traditional dry history on a topic. She also makes sure to cover all the not great parts about Women's suffrage-racism being one of the biggest. Quinn dives deeper into the suffrage story that you already know, not just detailing the people we remember today like Susan B. Anthony, but all the other players as well. She also details fascinating facts like Oregon rejected women's right to vote 5 times! (58). The first woman was elected to Congress in 1917, which was before women in the entire US had the right to vote (95). Women were jailed for protesting at the White House, and then during a hunger strike force-feed, which is considered a form of torture (111). Sadly there was also a group of women against the vote, and Quinn points out, "it seems ironic today that there were women so determined not to vote that they protested the possibility, organized, and were in effect politically active in hopes of defeating political engagement by women" (78). The book ends with a look at how women continued to speak out from 1920s to the present day. The illustrations are lovely, and done by 100 female artists. This is a fantastic history of women's suffrage in the US.
I received an advanced uncorrected digital galley from the publisher via Netgalley. Page numbers are from this galley and may not be the same in the final book.

[Sharee Fish]

I knew that Bridget Quinn would deliver! This is a MUST READ for young women and adults to gain a better understanding of what women went through to gain the vote. These women are heroes and we simply have not been introduced to most of the women in this book! We all know Susan B. Anthony for example, but what of the others who were jailed and suffered to gain the right to VOTE! Bridget Quinn's writing style will have you laughing and turning pages, again and again, smiling as you learn. Bridget is not afraid to say something that may not be politically correct or may not fit into your own political convictions, BUT, say it she does and with a no holes barred vernacular. I loved this book. I selected the book for book club and I recommend it for a FUN and educational book club event!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this after loving the author’s book Broad Strokes.
I love the way Quinn tells a story, and how she often connects her stories to art; she gives different perspective than most historians. I’ve read a number of books on similar topics (favorites include The Women’s Hour and America’s Women), but Quinn introduced new stories and new viewpoints.
I also love her conversational style of writing, how it sometimes feels she’s speaking directly to me, as she would with a friend.

Broad Strokes was one of my very favorite books of 2020, and I had been itching to get my hands on this one. As expected, it didn’t disappoint.

[Kirstyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book yesterday!! Very happy that my final read of 2020 was about women's rights and fight to vote! Not only did the book *thankfully* include a diverse set of women, bring up the many ways that all women were not represented/valued during the movements, that there are plenty of women who were/are not in favor of equal rights, etc. Plus the artwork is incredible in the book too! I love how everything was referenced at the end of the book too-the artists and more books on the various subjects. It's very readable for nonfiction, and you should definitely check it out :)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short-ish history of the women's suffrage movement in the U.S. and some of the phases and permutations of feminism since them, great artwork inside. Doesn't sugar coat some of the shitty things white suffragist did (racism, homophobia) in the fight. Highlights the stories of several women of color. Downgraded to 4.5 stars, because it acknowledges that women of color waited much longer than 1920 to vote, and gives dates for when laws were passed allowing different groups to vote, but the book doesn't follow any women fighting those battles after the 1920 victory.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this book tells the story of women’s suffrage in the United States. This book was really interesting! I knew some of the information already but that did not stop me from reading about it again. The author’s anecdotes were also interesting. I found her personal account of the women’s march in 2016 to be very telling. I remember watching it on TV and wishing I could’ve been there. I also really liked seeing all the art from female artists.
I can’t recommend this book enough!
5 out of 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridget Quinn has complied an enlightening and even entertaining history of the fight for suffrage and what happened afterward. Intersectionality is well-represented, although a chapter devoted to the women and the 1965 Voting Rights Act would have been helpful. The timeline jumps around a bit, but the informal style of the book makes it easier to forgive. Beautifully packaged with 100 illustrations from current women artists. Actual rating: 3.75

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely incredible. I said early on that it was already the best and most engaging nonfiction book I've ever read and that absolutely held true throughout. The art was beautiful and empowering; the narration was matter of fact and conversational; the content was inspiring and maddening. I learned so much about both the classic and modern histories of suffrage and feminism in the United States.
I wish that every American, male and female, would read this with an open mind.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know very little about women's history or politics, and especially little about the history of suffrage. This is an easy, accessible introduction, though deceptively little about suffrage itself. (I'm going to keep digging. I lived in Waterloo and Seneca Falls once upon a time!)
I appreciated the art emphasis (art history is how I ended up with this read).
The audiobook is narrated by the author, but I understand I've missed all the book's illustrations.

[Haley Chura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly the book I needed to read right now. SHE VOTES is an easy to read and well researched journey through 200 years of U.S. women’s voting history - a fight that continues today! I really appreciated the author’s care for the stories of these incredible women. The gorgeous illustrations make this an excellent gift. SHE VOTES is a book I’m proud to have on my bookshelf.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming and fun book to engage teens with the topic of women's suffrage. Language can be a bit PG-13 in places, so teachers proceed with caution, but all in all, it's a fun retelling of stories that should not be forgotten.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Lochsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't spend enough time reading about women's suffrage. This book was a great, easy read to remind you how blessed you are to be able to vote. The exclusionary aspect of white women getting the vote and stopping there is addressed in this book, while still celebrating those who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. The art is beautiful and varied.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

An exploitation book to ride the "Anniversary" wave. Nothing beyond Wikipedia, and any controversy left out so the Morning TV shows would feel great to invite the author no matter their political affiliation.

[Marcia McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is well worth reading! It's history with a sense of humor and beautiful art. I'm learning a lot I didn't know about the history of women's suffrage. For instance, did you know that abortion was legal in the US until the late 19th century and wasn't banned by the Catholic Church until 1867? I love the way Bridget Quinn portrays so many of the women in this history that we barely know.

[Mia Noorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! All women should read this book! Make that all people should read this book. Although this books only highlights small parts in history, Bridget Quinn did an amazing job to highlight the fight for women's rights. "Use your voice, vote, fight."

[Lisa Butterworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Quinn's merging of art and history. I loved the intersectionality and the matter of fact owning of the racist nonsense in the suffrage movement. The narrative and voice super easy to be pulled awy by.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great information on the women’s rights movement. I listened to the audiobook and was torn on the conversational writing style… it was engaging but also not something I could listen to with my small children around.

[Lauren Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really engaging high level view of the fight for Woman Suffrage and the fight for women’s rights since the passing of the 19th Amendment - the author’s snarky asides are a real treat! If all history was written this well more people would read about history! Highly recommended

[Marissa Rapone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Learned so much I can't believe I never learned. Every girl and woman should read this book to realize how far we have come, and how much further we have to go.

Because when we fight...WE WIN.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may have teared up when the senator who broke the stalemate for women’s suffrage (in TN I think?) did so because he said a man can never go wrong by doing what his mom says, and he knew his mom wanted him to vote in favor. That’s a mom that made a difference.