Women Will Vote: Winning Suffrage in New York State

In 1917, a referendum granting women in New York State full suffrage finally passed, an accomplishment activists had been working toward since the mid-19th century. Goodier (history, State Univ. of New York, Oneonta; No Vote for Women) and Pastorello (history, Tompkins Cortland Community Coll.; The Progressives) explore the people and events that made this milestone possible. The authors primarily focus on the many who contributed to the cause of suffrage, including well-known figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton while also introducing readers to Max Eastman, Carrie Chapman Catt, and other equally important but lesser-known suffragists. Although the varied suffragists didn't always work together, their continued efforts succeeded in forming an effective coalition. Goodier and Pastorello offer a thorough perspective of the long struggle for voting equality in New York—and the first step toward equal rights.