This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Southern Association for Women Historians (SAWH). In recognition of this milestone we’ve curated a selection of our books focusing on women’s history. Read about the development of southern women’s history, the lives of women in the South, and the stories of women who fought for the environment in the twentieth century, among other topics.
All these books and more are currently on sale in our southern history virtual booth in connection with the virtual conference of the Southern Historical Association. Use code SHA20 for discounts and free shipping, valid through December 16, 2020.
Sisterly Networks: Fifty Years of Southern Women’s Histories
Edited by Catherine Clinton
Tracing the development of the field of southern women’s history, this collection of essays shows how pioneering feminists laid the foundation for a strong community of sister scholars. In a lively roundtable discussion, contributors also comment on challenges in higher education and offer provocative insights on the ways scholars can change the future.
The Daughters of the American Revolution and Patriotic Memory in the Twentieth Century
Simon Wendt
In this comprehensive history of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Simon Wendt shows how the DAR’s efforts to keep alive the memory of the nation’s past were entangled with and strengthened the nation’s racial and gender boundaries. This book sheds new light on the cultural authority of conservative white women in the twentieth century.
Dixie’s Daughters: The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture
Karen L. Cox
With a new preface
Even without the right to vote, members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) proved to have enormous social and political influence throughout the South—all in the name of preserving Confederate culture. Karen L. Cox’s history of the UDC, an organization founded in 1894 to vindicate the Confederate generation and honor the Lost Cause, shows why myths surrounding the Confederacy continue to endure.
The Extraordinary Life of Jane Wood Reno: Miami’s Trailblazing Journalist
George Hurchalla
Jane Wood Reno was one of the most groundbreaking and colorful American women of the twentieth century. Told by her grandson, this book is an intimate biography of a free thinker who shattered barriers during the early years of Miami.
The Public Health Nurses of Jim Crow Florida
Christine Ardalan
Highlighting the long unacknowledged role of a group of pioneering professional women, this book tells the story of healthcare workers who battled racism in a state where white supremacy formed the bedrock of society.
Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley: African Princess, Florida Slave, Plantation Slaveowner
Daniel L. Schafer
Revised and Expanded Edition
Captured from her homeland in 1806, Anna Kingsley became first an American slave, later a slaveowner, and eventually a central figure in a free Black community. Now, in this revised and expanded edition, Schafer draws on new discoveries to prove the longstanding rumors that Anna Madgigine Jai was originally a princess.
The Silencing of Ruby McCollum: Race, Class, and Gender in the South
Tammy Evans
This book refutes the carefully constructed public memory of one of the most famous—and under-examined—biracial murders in American history. Evans discusses how Ruby McCollum’s trial prosecutors voiced multiple objections during her testimony to limit what she was allowed to say and to ensure an official version of events.
Unlikely Dissenters: White Southern Women in the Fight for Racial Justice, 1920-1970
Anne Stefani
During the struggle for African American civil rights, white women in the South grappled with being a part of the “oppressor” group while also being “victims” of the patriarchy. In this book, Anne Stefani examines and compares two generations of white women who spoke out against Jim Crow while remaining deeply attached to their native South.
They Dared to Dream: Florida Women Who Shaped History
Doris Weatherford
This extensive portrayal of Florida’s guiding matriarchs highlights the myriad contributions women have made throughout Florida’s history. From the select few who traveled with Ponce de Leon to the state’s first female mayor, Doris Weatherford sheds light on the roles these pioneering women played in shaping Florida.
Saving Florida: Women’s Fight for the Environment in the Twentieth Century
Leslie Kemp Poole
This book reveals how women’s clubs prompted legislation to establish Florida’s first state park. It tells the story of Doris Leeper, remembers Clara Dommerich, and celebrates the legacy of the three “Marjories.” It shows how these and other women helped lead the fight for unprecedented changes in how Florida reveres its unique natural resources.
Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida’s Environment
Peggy Macdonald
This biography is an intimate look at a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to conserving Florida’s wildlife and wild places. It is also a revelation of how the grassroots battle to save a small but vitally important river in central Florida transformed the modern environmental movement.
Crossing the Line: Women’s Interracial Activism in South Carolina during and after World War II
Cherisse Jones-Branch
In this book, Cherisse Jones-Branch explores the early activism of Black women in organizations like the NAACP, the South Carolina Progressive Democratic Party, and more. At the same time, Jones-Branch discusses how Black and white women shared the goal of improving Black South Carolinians’ access to political and educational institutions even if their attempts often conflicted.
Freedom for Women: Forging the Women’s Liberation Movement, 1953-1970
Carol Giardina
In this book, Carol Giardina argues against the prevalent belief that the Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM) grew out of frustrations over the male chauvinism experienced by WLM founders active in the Black Freedom Movement and the New Left. Giardina’s work is a vivid portrait of the people and events that shaped radical feminism.
The Varieties of Women’s Experiences: Portraits of Southern Women in the Post-Civil War Century
Edited by Larry Eugene Rivers and Canter Brown Jr.
These 14 biographical essays reveal the broad range of lives lived by women in the post-Civil War South. This book explores the diversity and complexity of what it could mean to be a “Southern woman” at a time when social norms restricted many to their household and wifely duties.
Making Waves: Female Activists in Twentieth-Century Florida
Edited by Jack E. Davis and Kari Frederickson
This collection of essays illuminates the involvement of the state’s women in many fundamental issues, enriching our understanding of modern Florida and the role women play in it. This book examines the lives and works of women activists who made a significant impact on Florida in the last century.
View these books and more in our southern history virtual booth. Use code SHA20 for discounts and free shipping, valid through December 16, 2020.
The Florida Bookshelf 