A history of the twentieth-century feminists who fought for the
rights of women, workers, and the poor, both in the United States and
abroad
For the Many presents an inspiring look at how
US women and their global allies pushed the nation and the world toward
justice and greater equality for all. Reclaiming social democracy as one
of the central threads of American feminism, Dorothy Sue Cobble offers a
bold rewriting of twentieth-century feminist history and documents how
forces, peoples, and ideas worldwide shaped American politics. Cobble
follows egalitarian women’s activism from the explosion of democracy
movements before World War I to the establishment of the New Deal,
through the upheavals in rights and social citizenship at midcentury, to
the reassertion of conservatism and the revival of female-led movements
today.
Cobble brings to life the women who crossed borders of
class, race, and nation to build grassroots campaigns, found
international institutions, and enact policies dedicated to raising
standards of life for everyone. Readers encounter famous figures,
including Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, and Mary McLeod Bethune,
together with less well-known leaders, such as Rose Schneiderman, Maida
Springer Kemp, and Esther Peterson. Multiple generations partnered to
expand social and economic rights, and despite setbacks, the fight for
the many persists, as twenty-first-century activists urgently demand a
more caring, inclusive world.
Putting women at the center of US political history, For the Many reveals the powerful currents of democratic equality that spurred American feminists to seek a better life for all.
