For the Many - (America in the World) by Dorothy Sue Cobble

About the Book

"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"--

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"The transnational turn has been a mainstay in U.S. history for quite some time now, but in recent years, feminist scholars have joined the trend. . . . Dorothy Sue Cobble's For the Many: American Feminists and the Global Fight for Democratic Equality adds to this critical scholarship by highlighting the role of American working-class women and women of color as they fought to advance social justice and equality for all."---Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, Coordinating Council for Women in History

"For the Many should help dislodge the hegemonic tendency of attributing and assigning feminism to white, American, bourgeois women, and therefore allowing feminism to be inextricably confined to white, bourgeois political philosophies and ideologies. Cobble's work serves as a caution to young intersectional feminists that we should not allow the most racist, classist, and exclusionary of feminists to lay claim to the history of American feminism in the twentieth century."---Tracey Jean Bouisseau, American Historical Review

"

Cobble successfully traces the history of U.S. women's international labor feminism over the course of the
twentieth century. As such, For the Many provides an insightful account for graduate students and scholars interested in women's transnational labor activism and U.S. labor relations.

"---Jessica Frazier, Diplomatic History

"

Cobble's appreciation for the integrity of the full rights feminists' line of reasoning and their persistence shapes her book.

"---Nancy F. Cott, New York Review of Books

"[A] comprehensive new history. . . . Cobble's book is brimming with stories of women who similarly moved in and out of unions, feminist organizations, and government posts."---Laura Tanenbaum, Jacobin

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

"Cobble's impressive research draws on countless primary sources from collections spanning archives, libraries, and research institutions from around the globe, making her book a must read for students interested in transnational feminism."-- "Choice Reviews"

"Dorothy Sue Cobble's sweeping, carefully-researched, and beautifully-written story of full-rights feminists. . . . will no doubt remain a touchstone for the history of feminism and labor for years to come."---Jocelyn Olcott, International Review of Social History

About the Author

Dorothy Sue Cobble is Distinguished Professor of History and Labor Studies Emerita at Rutgers University. Her many books include The Sex of Class, Feminism Unfinished, and The Other Women's Movement (Princeton). Website www.dorothysuecobble.com