Why They Marched

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A Times Higher Education Recommended Summer Read “An opportunity to celebrate a truly diverse cohort of first-wave feminist changemakers.” —Ms. “Her cast of characters usefully illustrates the geographic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic range of the suffrage movement.” —New Yorker “Looks at 19 activists from around the country...revealing that the movement was made up of a wider and much more diverse group than is typically noted in the history books.” —Boston Globe For far too long, the story of how American women won the right to vote has been told as the tale of a few iconic leaders, all white and native born. But Susan Ware uncovered a much broader and more diverse story waiting to be told. Why They Marched is a tribute to the women who worked tirelessly across the nation, out of the spotlight, protesting, petitioning, and insisting on their right to full citizenship. Ware shows how race, class and religion divided the movement even as she celebrates unheralded African American, Mormon, and Jewish activists. The dramatic, often joyous experiences of these pioneering feminists resonate powerfully today, as a new generation of women demands to be heard.