Jailed for Freedom: A First-Person Account of the Militant Fight for Women's Rights

by Doris Stevens, Angela P. Dodson (Introduction)

The 100th-anniversary special edition of Jailed for Freedom, the essential history and first-person account of the courageous and militant suffragists who fought for their right to vote. First published in 1920, Jailed for Freedom is the courageous, true story of the militant suffragists who organized some of the first-ever, large scale demonstrations and protests on Washington. At a time when President Woodrow Wilson's administration refused to acknowledge women's voting rights as a tangible issue, the National Woman's Party coalesced, organized, and fought a fierce battle for the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment with heroism, bravery, and radical vigilance.What makes Jailed for Freedom especially compelling and such an important contribution to women's history is that it is a personal testimony from a suffragist who persevered through it. With depth and clarity, Doris Stevens details the bravery of the women who picketed daily outside the White House, opened themselves up to ridicule and physical violence, were arrested on no viable charges, jailed when they chose not to pay fines, and even beaten and force-fed when they went on hunger strikes.Including a new introduction from suffrage historian Angela P. Dodson, author of Remember the Ladies, and accompanied with poignant, archival illustrations, Jailed for Freedom is a tribute to the women and acts it took the pass the Nineteenth Amendment, apropos of radical activism that is still mobilizing in politics today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, American History

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2020

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating first person account of the struggle for women's rights. It's amazing how many modern protests build on these tactics, and a lot of Stevens' language is echoed by modern day protest movements. Stevens writing is vivid and engaging, her sense of humor sharp, and her observations keen. I low key love that she included a bunch of stuff about how great Dudley Field Malone was, and they got married (sadly it didn't last). It's also interesting how much Stevens leaves out - her history is necessarily predicated on her work with the radical suffragists, but I think moderate suffragists also played a key role.

[S Modi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this after watching Suffs The Musical re the fight for the women's right to vote. It is written in a diary format, but does go over, in detail, all of the convincing required of a reluctant president/politicians in wartime, hunger strikes/arrests that happened in order for this critical amendment to be passed, now 100 yrs ago. The writing can be a bit tedious, but it was amazing to read about all the women who went to jail for this purpose and how these political prisoners were treated as common criminals.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warning, the first couple of chapters are pretty dry, but hang in there for this fascinating first hand description of the suffrage movement. I had no idea.

[Jill Sakowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in this due to the musical Suffs but found it a bit of a slog. Still glad to learn more about the history of the suffrage movement in the US. This story still needs to be told.