Eva Gore-Booth, an Anglo-Irish woman who earned her living as a suffrage union organizer in Manchester met Esther Roper, the daughter of a missionary, by chance in Italy in 1896 whilst recovering from consumption. Their mutual interest in women's rights and the suffrage movement was to lead to a life-long relationship.
This is the first dedicated biography of the extraordinary Irish woman, Eva Gore-Booth. Gore-Booth rejected her aristocratic heritage choosing to live and work amongst the poorest classes in industrial Manchester. Her work on behalf of barmaids, circus acrobats, flower sellers and pit-brow lasses is traced in this book. During one impressive campaign Gore-Booth orchestrated the defeat of Winston Churchill. Gore-Booth published volumes of poetry, philosophical prose and plays, becoming a respected and prolific author of her time and part of W.B. Yeats’ literary circle. The story of Gore-Booth’s life is captivating. Her close bond with her sister, an iconic Irish nationalist, provides a new insight into Countess Markievicz’s personal life. Gore-Booth’s life story vividly traces her experiences of issues such as militant pacifism during the Great War, the case for the reprieve of Roger Casement’s death sentence, sexual equality in the workplace and the struggle for Irish independence.
The Prison Letters of Countess Markievicz were first published in 1932 as a classic of feminist literature. Now restored to their original form by leading Markievicz expert, Lindie Naughton, this new edition features previously unpublished letters that Markievicz sent to family members and friends, offering a unique insight into her extraordinary life. After escaping the firing squad for her part in the 1916 Easter Rising, she was sentenced to life imprisonment and transferred to Mountjoy Jail and later sent to other prisons including Holloway in London and Cork Jail. Through these letters, recounting her feelings, political beliefs, opinions on world events and the minutiae of her domestic life, we hear the voice of a remarkable woman, full of life and spirit; a supporter of the underdog, who never gave up the fight for a more equal society. The first woman elected as an MP to the House of Commons, Markievicz is a controversial figure in Irish and British history but has remained a shadowy symbol of Ireland's revolutionary past. The real Markievicz shines through her letters to tell the story of one of Ireland s most remarkable citizens, in her own words.
The Political Writings of Eva Gore-Booth is a compilation of writings by this important Irish political activist. This is the first time that Gore-Booth's writings have been published together. The volume includes a fascinating array of letters, political pamphlets, newspaper articles and poetry relating to key aspects of Irish and British events of the early twentieth century. The volume is presented in three sections focussing on Women's suffrage and women's trade unionism; Pacifism and Conscientious Objection during World War One and Irish Nationalism before independence. The writings are transcribed in full and include detailed contextual footnotes. The vast majority of these writings are out of print and difficult to source. Many of the writings were published by independent sources or radical political organisations as penny pamphlets and copies are therefore rare. Some of the writings are previously unpublished or, due to strict codes of wartime censorship, were never widely circulated. Publication of these writings provides a greater understanding of Gore-Booth's work but perhaps even more importantly, this publication adds greatly to the body of research available on issues which are, to date, often under researched. Topics which were viewed as controversial in the early twentieth century such as conscientious objectors in WWI, the death penalty in Ireland and England and the development of women's trade unions, have often suffered from a lack of available source material. The Political Writings of Eva Gore-Booth adds greatly to a perspective of Irish identity, both in relation to Irish history and Irish influences on English political movements.
One Hand Tied Behind Us creates a vivid portrait of strong women who envisaged freedoms for which we are still fighting today. It is based on interviews with the last surviving suffragists & those who witnessed their work, & on diaries, biographies, etc.
This widely acclaimed book has been described by History Today as a 'landmark in the study of the women's movement'. It is the only comprehensive reference work to bring together in one volume the wealth of information available on the women's movement. Drawing on national and local archival sources, the book contains over 400 biographical entries and more than 800 entries on societies in England, Scotland and Wales. Easily accessible and rigorously cross-referenced, this invaluable resource covers not only the political developments of the campaign but provides insight into its cultural context, listing novels, plays and films.
While women were part of American history from the outset, they did not win the right to vote until 1920. Readers of this engrossing history of the women’s suffrage movement will discover its roots in the abolitionist movement. They’ll read about the Declaration of Sentiments from the 1848 women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, which stated, “all men and women are created equal.” The book also discusses how the fight for women’s rights continued after the right to vote had been won. An illustrated timeline, map, and treasure trove of historical photos enrich the learning experience.
Constance Markievicz (1868–1927), born to the privileged Protestant upper class in Ireland, embraced suffrage before scandalously leaving for a bohemian life in London and then Paris. She would become known for her roles as politician and Irish revolutionary nationalist. Her husband, Casimir Dunin Markievicz (1874–1932), a painter, playwright, and theater director, was a Polish noble who would eventually join the Russian imperial army to fight on behalf of Polish freedom during World War I. Revolutionary Lives offers the first dual biography of these two prominent European activists and artists. Tracing the Markieviczes' entwined and impassioned trajectories, biographer Lauren Arrington sheds light on the avant-garde cultures of London, Paris, and Dublin, and the rise of anti-imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. Drawing from new archival material, including previously untranslated newspaper articles, Arrington explores the interests and concerns of Europeans invested in suffrage, socialism, and nationhood. Unlike previous works, Arrington's book brings Casimir Markievicz into the foreground of the story and explains how his liberal imperialism and his wife's socialist republicanism arose from shared experiences, even as their politics remained distinct. Arrington also shows how Constance did not convert suddenly to Irish nationalism, but was gradually radicalized by the Irish Revival. Correcting previous depictions of Constance as hero or hysteric, Arrington presents her as a serious thinker influenced by political and cultural contemporaries. Revolutionary Lives places the exciting biographies of two uniquely creative and political individuals and spouses in the wider context of early twentieth-century European history.
Edith Somerville was a talented artist and illustrator, a capable huntswoman and a practical feminist. Her cousin Violet Martin (Martin Ross) had a prodigious memory, an ear for speech and dialect and profound political insight. Together, as Somerville and Ross, their literary styles seamlessly fused to create the masterpiece The Real Charlotte and the witty, comic tales of The Irish R.M. In her superbly illustrated biography Gifford Lewis examines the relationship between the cousins and expores the ways in which their Irish upbringing influenced their lives and work. -- Provided by publisher.