Early Feminist Pioneers, Their Lives, and Their Reform Efforts

Book excerpt: Early feminist pioneers contributed much to the functioning and reform of society, including making women’s status and privileges equal to those of men. However, we still do not know enough about their efforts, strategies, sacrifices, and attainments. As such, through a focus on the lives and contributions of eight early female pioneers of England and America from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century, this book helps to fill this gap. Among these women were religious and educational reformers, political activists, social advocates, abolitionists, feminists, community organizers, pacifists, internationalists, and historians. These women noticed many injustices done to their kind by men and society over the centuries and took brave actions at great personal costs to provide remedies. Their respective backgrounds and interests were different, but all of them desired more protection and the welfare of vulnerable populations nationally and internationally. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in many fields, and can also be adopted as a textbook in colleges and universities.