Susan B. Anthony

A Biography

Kathleen Barry

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781479804962
• eBook ISBN:
  9781479804979
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Brings to life one of the most significant figures in the crusade for women's rights in America

This comprehensive biography of Susan B. Anthony traces the life of a feminist icon, bringing new depth to our understanding of her influence on the course of women's history. Beginning with her humble Quaker childhood in rural Massachusetts, taking readers through her late twenties when she left a secure teaching position to pursue activism, and ultimately tracing her evolution into a champion of women's rights, this book offers an in-depth look at the ways Anthony's life experiences shaped who she would become.

Drawing on countless letters, diaries, and other documents, Kathleen Barry offers new interpretations of Anthony's relationship with feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and illuminating insights on Anthony's views of men, marriage, and children. She paints a vivid picture of the political, economic, and cultural milieu of 19th-century America. And, above all, she brings a very real Susan B. Anthony to life. Here we find a powerful portrait of this most singular woman—who she was, what she felt, and how she thought.

Complete with a new preface to honor the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage and Anthony's vital role in the fight for voting rights, this thorough biography gives us essential new insight into the life and legacy of an enduring American heroine.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface to the NYU Classics Edition
• Prologue
• 1. The Rise of a Common Woman
• 2. To Marry or Not to Be a Wife
• 3. “Woman Must Take to Her Soul a Purpose”
• 4. A Passion for Justice
• 5. The Woman’s Enlightenment
• 6. Which Slaves’ Emancipation?
• 7. The Male Betrayal
• 8. Reformers versus Radicals
• 9. The Vagaries of Love
• 10. Convicted of Being a Woman
• 11. The Unity of Women—At What Cost?
• 12. A Grand Old Age
• 13. “Failure Is Impossible”
• Epilogue
• Postscript: On Women’s Biography
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author