Synopses & Reviews
Among the great figures of Progressive Era reform, Edith and Grace Abbott are perhaps the least sung. Peers, companions, and coworkers of legendary figures such as Jane Addams and Sophonisba Breckinridge, the Abbott sisters were nearly omnipresent in turn-of-the-century struggles to improve the lives of the poor and the working-class people who fed the industrial engines and crowded into diverse city neighborhoods. Graceandrsquo;s innovative role as a leading champion for the rights of children, immigrants, and women earned her a key place in the history of the social justice movement. As her friend and colleague Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, Grace was andldquo;one of the great women of our day . . . a definite strength which we could count on for use in battle.andrdquo;
A Sisterandrsquo;s Memories is the inspiring story of Grace Abbott (1878andndash;1939), as told by her sister and social justice comrade, Edith Abbott (1876andndash;1957). Edith recalls in vivid detail the Nebraska childhood, impressive achievements, and struggles of her sister who, as head of the Immigrantsandrsquo; Protective League and the U.S. Childrenandrsquo;s Bureau, championed childrenandrsquo;s rights from the slums of Chicago to the villages of Appalachia. Graceandrsquo;s crusade can perhaps be best summed up in her well-known credo: andldquo;Justice for all children is the high ideal in a democracy.andrdquo; Her efforts saved the lives of thousands of children and immigrants and improved those of millions more. These trailblazing social service works led the way to the creation of the Social Security Act and UNICEF and caused the press to nickname her andldquo;The Mother of Americaandrsquo;s 43 Million Children.andrdquo; She was the first woman in American history to be nominated to the presidential cabinet and the first person to represent the United States at a committee of the League of Nations.
Edited by Abbott scholar John Sorensen, A Sisterandrsquo;s Memories is destined to become a classic. It shapes the diverse writings of Edith Abbott into a cohesive narrative for the first time and fills in the gaps of our understanding of Progressive Era reforms. Readers of all backgrounds will find themselves engrossed by this history of the unstoppable, pioneer feminist Abbott sisters.
Review
"The ideas of La Follette and his fellow progressives are our best hope for countering the reactionary and destructive forces that threaten to dissolve this fragile experiment in self-government which has so much to offer and has so far yet to go." (Bill Moyers, PBS Host and author of Moyers on Democracy) "In our time of mediocre and timid political leadership, it is good to have a book that reminds us of the unique political courage of Bob La Follette." ( Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present) "Nancy Unger has produced a fascinating, insightful, and persuasive portrait of Wisconsin's 'Little Giant.' She . . . penetrates into his mind and character." (John Milton Cooper Jr., Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt)
Review
andldquo;A Sisterandrsquo;s Memoriesand#160;is a valuable addition to the historical literature on a generation of women reformers who did much to shape a new American social contract between 1900 and 1930. Editor Sorensen has woven together the scattered and incomplete segments of Edith Abbottandrsquo;s memoirs into a well-crafted whole, finally allowing scholars to fill important gaps in the understanding of Edith and Grace Abbottandrsquo;s contributions to Progressive reform. The book is essential reading for all who are interested in the Progressive-Era origins of modern America.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Edith Abbott left behind an unfinished memoir-biography of the life and work of her brilliant younger sister, Grace, the prominent Progressive advocate for immigrants and children.and#160;It has been Sorensenandrsquo;s inspired and skillfully executed task to complete this biographical project, working with the incomplete text and the authorandrsquo;s fragmentary notes and rough drafts. Intended solely for the general reader, and thus free of footnotes or annotations, this lively and well-written book is just what we need to improve the lives of immigrants and children todayandmdash;a guide to the best arguments and strategies, as captured in Grace Abbottandrsquo;s remarkable story.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Now in paperback with a new preface, this comprehensive biography weaves the triumph and the tragedy of the public and private lives of the most famous of Wisconsin leaders, Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette. Despite his successes, La Follette’s personal life was marred by misfortune including the death of his father when La Follette was only eight months old and illnesses so severe that complete rest, often for months at a time, was the prescribed cure. Through the personal letters, diaries, and documents of the La Follette family, Unger uses the private life of La Follette as a means for understanding the public figure. Thoroughly researched and documented, Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer is a testament to the progressive tradition in Wisconsin and its premier leader.
Synopsis
Now in paperback with a new preface, this comprehensive biography weaves the triumph and the tragedy of the public and private lives of the most famous of Wisconsin leaders, Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette.
Synopsis
Now in paperback with a new preface, this comprehensive biography weaves the triumph and the tragedy of the public and private lives of the most famous of Wisconsin leaders, Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette. As a U.S. representative, governor of Wisconsin, and U.S. Senator, La Follette's political legacies have been long lasting; among them are the election of senators by constituents, creation of the Department of Labor and the Federal Trade Commission, women's suffrage, and workers' compensation.Through the personal letters, diaries, and documents of the La Follette family, Unger uses the private life of La Follette as a means for understanding the public figure. Thoroughly researched and documented, Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer is a testament to the progressive tradition in Wisconsin and its premier leader.
Synopsis
Peers, companions, and coworkers of legendary Progressive-era figures such as Jane Addams and Sophonisba Breckenridge, Edith and Grace Abbott were near omnipresent in the great turn-of-the-century drives to understand American cities, their industrial and social economics, and their rapidly changing demographics. In her memoirs, Edith brings to life the sistersand#8217; upbringing in a small town in Nebraska, their educational and work experiences, their influence on significant social-welfare legislation, and the institutions of which they were critical partsand#151;including Hull House and the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago.
About the Author
Nancy C. Unger is Associate Professor of History and Women's and Gender Studies at Santa Clara University. She has published several articles and essays on the La Follette family and the progressive era. Her op-eds applying the progressive tradition to the present are syndicated by the History News Service and have appeared in major newspapers across the country. Professor Unger has been a guest on Air America and Wisconsin Public Radio and has served as a consultant for PBS.
Table of Contents
Illustrations
Introductionand#160;and#160; 1
Part 1. A Prairie Childhood
1. Children of the Western Plains
2. Some Family Traditions: Abolition and the Civil War
3. Democracy on the High Plains
4. Our Prairie Home
5. The Rights of the Indian
6. The Rights of Women
7. Fatherandrsquo;s Law Office
8. A Home of Law and Politics
9. The Childrenandrsquo;s Day
10. Books in the Prairie Days
11. Grace and the Rights of Children
12. The Treeless Plains
13. The End of the Beginning
Part 2. The Hull House Years
Preface
14. Life at Hull House
15. Protecting Immigrant Arrivals
16. The Lost Immigrant Girls
17. The Children of Immigrants
18. Protecting Workers: Immigrants and Women
19. A Fair Deal: Banks and Courts
20. The andldquo;New Immigrationandrdquo;
21. Immigration at the Source
22. The Massachusetts Commission on Immigration
23. A Pacifist in the First World War
24. Julius Rosenwald
25. Votes for Women
26. The Childrenandrsquo;s Bureau
27. The First Child Labor Law
28. The Tragedy of andldquo;Hammer v. Dagenhartandrdquo;
29. Children and the War
30. Back to Chicago
Part 3. The Crusade for Children
31. The New Chief
32. The First Year
33. The Maternity Bill: A Matter of Life and Death
34. The Supreme Court and the Radio
35. The Childrenandrsquo;s Amendment
36. Madame President
37. The Battle Continues
38. Publications and Politics
39. Geneva
40. Extending the Act
41. 1929
42. Grace Abbott for the Cabinet
43. The White House Conference
44. Conversion by Exigency
45. First Essentials
46. The Undying Fire
Acknowledgments
Appendix. The Undying Fire
Illustrations
Edith Abbott (1919)
Grace Abbott (1881)
Grace Abbott (1889/1900)
Grace Abbott with her niece Charlotte Abbott (1917/1918)
Edith Abbott and Grace Abbott (1930s)