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.… (mere)

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.… (mere)

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.
… (mere)