The text documents the exhaustive history of the woman suffrage movement from eighteen eighty-three to nineteen hundred, compiled under the editorial direction of Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper. The narrative opens by detailing the arduous decade-long labor required to complete the first three volumes of the history, driven primarily by Anthony's unwavering persistence and financial sacrifices. The central problem posed throughout the work is the glaring contradiction of a democratic republic denying half its citizens the fundamental right of self-representation.
The authors examine the profound legal hurdles that separated woman suffrage from all other civil rights advancements, noting that while property and educational rights could be secured through ordinary statute law, the franchise demanded difficult amendments to state and federal constitutions. The text covers the numerous congressional hearings, conventions, and legislative battles across various states, highlighting the fierce opposition encountered from entrenched political machines and liquor interests that viewed women's enfranchisement as a threat to their influence. Throughout the volumes, key figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Matilda Joslyn Gage are highlighted for their intellectual contributions and strategic leadership.
The argument develops by systematically dismantling the common objections to woman suffrage—addressing the arguments regarding military service, domestic disruption, and the claim that most women did not want the ballot—while presenting compelling statistics on women's rising educational and economic independence. The struggle is framed as a continuation of the revolutionary principle that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. While focusing heavily on the United States, the later sections extend the historical record to international developments in Great Britain and her colonies, demonstrating a global trend toward women's emancipation. The narrative concludes with an optimistic view of the future, asserting that the persistent efforts of a dedicated minority will inevitably secure full political equality for women.
