Book Review: Women's Activism and Social Change: Rochester, New York 1822-1872
In Nancy Hewitt's Women's Activism and Social Change: Rochester, New York, 1822-1872, the author explores the history of 19th century women's organizations in Rochester, New York, during the Jacksonian Era. Through this investigation, we learn a great deal more about the history of American women and their fight for equality, even in a time of economic elitism and the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP). In essence, Hewitt's thesis is that there were three distinct groups who comprised the vast majority of women in Rochester during the 19th century - "benevolents," "perfectionists" and "ultras" - who volunteered in these organizations and contributed to ...