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Gilded Suffragists: The New York Socialites who Fought for Women's Right to Vote

by Johanna Neuman

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425593,071 (3.29)3
New York City's elite women who turned a feminist cause into a fashionable revolution In the early twentieth century over two hundred of New York's most glamorous socialites joined the suffrage movement. Their names--Astor, Belmont, Rockefeller, Tiffany, Vanderbilt, Whitney and the like--carried enormous public value. These women were the media darlings of their day because of the extravagance of their costume balls and the opulence of the French couture clothes, and they leveraged their social celebrity for political power, turning women's right to vote into a fashionable cause. Although they were dismissed by critics as bored socialites "trying on suffrage as they might the latest couture designs from Paris," these gilded suffragists were at the epicenter of the great reforms known collectively as the Progressive Era. From championing education for women, to pursuing careers, and advocating for the end of marriage, these women were engaged with the swirl of change that swept through the streets of New York City. Johanna Neuman restores these women to their rightful place in the story of women's suffrage. Understanding the need for popular approval for any social change, these socialites used their wealth, power, social connections and style to excite mainstream interest and to diffuse resistance to the cause. In the end, as Neuman says, when change was in the air, these women helped push women's suffrage over the finish line.… (more)
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» See also 3 mentions

Showing 5 of 5
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
  fernandie | Sep 15, 2022 |
I need to be honest... this book is not generally something that I would read. I tend to find that a lot of history/non-fiction type books can get a bit tedious and boring. That said, this was not the case with Gilded Suffragists. I found the detail to be incredibly fascinating. I am sure Johanna Neuman's delivery has everything to do with that.

That said, Johanna Neuman has definitely done her homework in Gilded Suffragists. The incredible amount of historical detail really places the reader back into the early twentieth century alongside these courageous - and exceedingly extravagant - women. You really learn to appreciate the commitment of these early socialites who took their celebrity and power to make lasting changes in their communities, even when faced with dismissal and ridicule. You also realize that social status was resourcefully used as a tool to drive these positive changes. From helping immigrants and the poor, improving education, and all the way to voting rights of women, these ladies brought together in their elite clubs fought against their stereotypes to make a real difference.

This title is incredibly relevant today's politics. I've heard so many people criticize that celebrities have no place in politics and social issues. Gilded Suffragists demonstrates exactly why people who have social power not only have the right to speak up but further validates our necessity for today's celebrities to use their voices. We need them. They can be louder than the rest of us. They have access to far more resources.

I can easily see Gilded Suffragists becoming part of curriculum, so we (students) may have a better - broader - understanding of the history of women's rights to vote. It is much to easy too gloss over the topic as is and subsequently take the women's right to vote for granted. To be frank, I can't recall learning much if anything about the fight for women to be able to vote. Perhaps, too, the notoriety and familiarity of these women, even if just by surname, may connect with young people today. Better yet, maybe more celebrities could be driven to find inspiration in Tiffany, Astor, Whitney, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and the many others who proved what social status can drive.

I am giving Gilded Suffragists, 4 courageous stars!

Thank you NetGalley and NYU Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )
  nicholesbooknook | May 24, 2022 |
Fascinating information that I've never heard before, which bothers me. This book has inspired me to try to do a little more digging on some of the women mentioned. On a more frivolous note, love the gilded cover and the beautiful pictures. (But maybe these suffragists teach us that appearances aren't so frivolous after all?)

The book itself could have done with better/clearer organization and structure. Jumping from the 1890s to 1917 to 1909 all in one paragraph - on many separate occasions - was a bit much to process. Maybe a chronological timeline would have helped. Also, I wish the notes had been footnotes instead of all gathered in the back of the book - nobody wants to flip to the back three times every paragraph to see the sources and explanations! ( )
  Midhiel | Mar 18, 2020 |
Although not the most well known of the suffragist movement, they are nonetheless critical to the history of women's rights. Although it feels strange to be touting a book about the social elite's place in history given the current massive divide in social classes, their contribution deserves to be acknowledged. Well written and researched, an important part of history is put in the spotlight. ( )
  LilyRoseShadowlyn | Dec 24, 2019 |
Today’s Women’s Marchers owe a lot to Johanna Neuman’s Gilded Suffragists. There’s no doubt that high society at the turn of the twentieth century was the precursor of today’s activist celebrities. I just wish Neuman’s book had been more compelling.

The women’s suffrage and enfranchisement movements weren’t moving forward very quickly until the women of means started to participate. These were women who understood how to manage the media of time. They also had the backing—if only financially—of wealthy husbands and families. Their social lives gave them access to both local and national politicians as well.

Despite those advantages, the suffragists didn’t unite together behind one banner. They created various separate committees and organizations. Then the groups wasted energy fighting with each other instead of just against the patriarchy. I was incredibly frustrated by the factions, which stalled and derailed the process. Yet somehow, they managed to pull it off. Women became fully voting U.S. citizens.

To me, the story as Neuman tells it isn’t that they accomplished their goal in spite of male opposition. It is that they accomplished their goal in spite of themselves.

The book’s tone and structure frustrated me. Most of the book felt like a recitation of facts, with only a minor bit of sociological interpretation in the last several pages. Neuman chose not to include much supposed dialogue among the suffragists, gilded or otherwise. I understand the author’s desire to stay strictly historical, but this can be done artfully as well as accurately. For example, the way Holly Tucker did in [b:City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris|30231778|City of Light, City of Poison Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris|Holly Tucker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474697358s/30231778.jpg|50692547].

Neuman built the story chronologically. And yet, I often felt that the same facts were introduced as new in multiple places. I never quite connected with any of the women involved, despite the information I learned about them. And the various factions only added to my frustration. I wish the book’s organization had focused on fewer women, or had followed committee lines instead of timelines. Perhaps another style would have made it seem less like a doctoral dissertation.

Nevertheless, I was glad to learn about the participation of these women in a cause that has defined the way American women contribute to politics. Kudos to Neuman for bringing them to the forefront.

Thanks to NetGalley, New York University Press, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review. ( )
  TheBibliophage | Mar 20, 2018 |
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New York City's elite women who turned a feminist cause into a fashionable revolution In the early twentieth century over two hundred of New York's most glamorous socialites joined the suffrage movement. Their names--Astor, Belmont, Rockefeller, Tiffany, Vanderbilt, Whitney and the like--carried enormous public value. These women were the media darlings of their day because of the extravagance of their costume balls and the opulence of the French couture clothes, and they leveraged their social celebrity for political power, turning women's right to vote into a fashionable cause. Although they were dismissed by critics as bored socialites "trying on suffrage as they might the latest couture designs from Paris," these gilded suffragists were at the epicenter of the great reforms known collectively as the Progressive Era. From championing education for women, to pursuing careers, and advocating for the end of marriage, these women were engaged with the swirl of change that swept through the streets of New York City. Johanna Neuman restores these women to their rightful place in the story of women's suffrage. Understanding the need for popular approval for any social change, these socialites used their wealth, power, social connections and style to excite mainstream interest and to diffuse resistance to the cause. In the end, as Neuman says, when change was in the air, these women helped push women's suffrage over the finish line.

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