Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Well-crafted and in-depth,
They Dared to Dream has moved women, their experiences, and their contributions to the forefront of Floridaandrsquo;s history and heritage. This is a long-overdue and much-needed turning point in understanding our stateandrsquo;s past and present.andrdquo;andmdash;Canter Brown Jr., coeditor of
The Varieties of Womenandrsquo;s Experiences and#160;
andldquo;Represents a leap forward in the study of Florida history. Weatherford has done an outstanding job of researching and writing about Florida women, from paupers to queens, elevating their status to a level of equality within the overall story of Florida.andrdquo;andmdash;Rodney Kite-Powell, Saunders Foundation Curator of History at the Tampa Bay History Center and editor of Tampa Bay History
and#160;
While many works chronicle the various facets of Floridaandrsquo;s history, no book has revealed the myriad contributions of the stateandrsquo;s pioneering women. Doris Weatherford presents this first comprehensive narrative of the leading ladies who shaped Florida, from prehistoric times to the present.
An in-depth portrayal of Floridaandrsquo;s guiding matriarchs, They Dared to Dream divulges the lifestyles and achievements of women throughout landmark moments in history, including European exploration, the Civil War era, and postandndash;World War II Florida. Weatherford addresses the status of African American women in antebellum Florida, gender integration in public schools, and the fight for representation in the workplace. This chronological tale weaves together stories of native Calusa and Apalachee women; the select few who traveled with Ponce de Leandoacute;n and Hernando de Soto; and the female spies, postmasters, activists, and suffragists who etched into Florida an ever-lasting memory.
Featuring often-celebrated personalitiesandmdash;including Mary Martha Reid, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Elizabeth Cady Stantonandmdash;Weatherford also depicts the rarely disclosed lives of Princess Murat; lighthouse keeper Barbara Mabrity; Florida Memorial College founder Sarah Ann Blocker; first female Florida mayor Marion H. Oandrsquo;Brien; and other influential Floridian women. This pivotal examination of Floridaandrsquo;s female agents of change draws attention to womenandrsquo;s instrumental roles in the historical events that defined the Sunshine State.
About the Author
Doris Weatherford is the author of
A History of the American Suffragist Movement and other reference guides on American womenandrsquo;s history.