- Library User
New Women in the Old West
New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story by Winifred Gallagher
Reviewed by L. Bennett
Although the younger generations might not know it, their great grandmothers were tough and determined. Sometimes their energies went to helping the father or husband build a farm, herd cattle, or run a store. Sometimes they focused on the endless chores of making a home and raising children. But some women also fought the uphill battles to own property, attend college, be paid the same as a man doing the same job, and be granted the right to vote. From the 1840s through the 19-teens, Winifred Gallagher's vignettes daylight the struggles, determination, successes, and failures of the march to equality. A march, she frequently observes, that is on-going.
The book was easy to read and engaging. Using the personalized approach, Gallagher provides the readers with relatable situations and includes women from a variety of economic, religious, and racial callings. I found the book as educational as it was enjoyable.