Elaine F. Weiss

"Even if we win we who have been here will never remember it with anything but a shudder." While I imagine the leading suffragist Catherine Catt did not really feel that way after the battle to ratify women's suffrage in Tennessee was over, this book provided an informative and exciting corrective to my naive assumption that once President Wilson came out for women's suffrage the Nineteenth Amendment was enacted with ease. The book takes a very interesting look at how progress really came about: following other states' unexpected rejections, Tennessee became the critical thirty-sixth state required to amend the Constitution, and the struggle over the votes of her legislators ran the gamut from the highest idealism to (on the Anti side mainly) the lowest dregs of bribery, blackmail, intoxication, racism and cowardice. It was particularly interesting to learn about the prominent Southern anti-suffragist women activists and their ideological commitments: to them, politics was a dirty, shady business that well-bred women ought not to leave their domestic duties to get involved in; at the same time, and not entirely compatibly, their menfolk were their honoured preservers to whom they looked to uphold the Southern way of life. The reader will be surprised and moved by what turned the last single vote in the end. Lastly, the penultimate chapter notes interesting consequences and developments, particularly around the evolution of women's right-wing movements, such as the 'Women's Red Scare': I would not be surprised to hear if this were to be the topic of the author's next book.… (meer)

This book highlighted a piece of American history that I really knew very little about. 36 states were needed to ratify the 19th amendment, and 35 had done so. The right for women to vote hinged on Tennessee being the 36th. This story thrusts the reader into the political battle that ultimately resulted in the women getting the vote. The author details (and I do mean details) the contentious battle between the Suffs and the Antis and creates a portrait of many of the key women who fought with incredible passion for the vote.

The book itself is a bit uneven. There are parts that read like true narrative non-fiction and really bring the battle to life. And there are parts (mostly in the middle) that seem repetitive, overly detailed, and a bit dull. There are so many people involved that the names begin to get very hard to track. I have X-Ray on my Kindle which helped, but honestly a guide to the players would be have been an excellent addition.

All in all, it was worthwhile though if only because it gives the reader a chance to understand how incredibly difficult it was to obtain the right for women to vote and how even long ago, the media, politics, lying, and deal making form the cornerstones of our messy democratic process. The outcome is not a mystery, but it is scary to realize how close the ratification process came to failure and the persistence required to pass what seems like a quite straightforward piece of legislation.… (meer)

It may be surprising to learn that Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, in 1920, giving women the right to vote in federal elections. This book provides a detailed history of the fight in the Tennessee legislature. Weiss highlights both groups of “Suffs” (American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman’s Party) as well as the “Antis,” their leaders, and the tactics they used. She also provides portraits of the key Tennessee legislators and other national figures, such as Warren G. Harding and Woodrow Wilson. She covers the various forces for and against the movement and how they attempted to influence the outcome. It may not be surprising to learn that special interests, bribery, racism, intimidation, and mudslinging were involved.

This book is a thorough examination of a single episode in the seven decades-long history of the US women’s suffrage movement. While it does provide biographical information about the founders of the movement, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, it is more focused on those present during the Tennessee debate, such as Carrie Catts and Sue White. I think the author does a good job of evoking the time period and the book includes numerous historical photos. It helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of the right to vote.
… (meer)

Kind of got annoyed reading this book. Not because of the book, but more the fact in high school this subject isn't well taught. They treat it like a footnote. Usually they talk about Susan B. Anthony and that's the end of the story. Reading this book, and others, that is not the case at all. There's so much to cover. Most of the women aren't well known and some of them should be more known. Some of the women that are well known aren't good ones to look up to either.

I think the thing that stands out with this book is the fact it doesn't ignore the elephant in the room. Race became an issue for the white women. It's upsetting to learn the the white women were puppets to the Confederates. They thought if women could vote, that meant blacks could vote too, they couldn't have that. They went out of there way to make sure blacks couldn't vote. Wasn't until years later black women had the same rights. That is why it's important to know the difference between women's rights and black women's rights.

One critique I do have about the writing is I feel the author put her own opinions in at some points that weren't needed. It's not the best non-fiction book I've read, but she made it interesting and somewhat easy to read.

Also, this book helped me understand about voting rights and how this country still isn't fully there yet. Take a look at this election, we have some moron that clearly wants to make sure he wins again. Sorry to get political, but this year I've gone there and this book helped me find some sanity. At least some people care about the history of voting rights.… (meer)