Frances Willard A Biography
Frances Willard A Biography by Ruth Bordin, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1986, offers an in-depth exploration of the life of Frances Willard, who served as president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) from 1879 until her death in 1898. This illustrated edition spans 294 pages and presents a detailed account of Willard’s significant contributions to the women’s movement and her role in advocating for the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.
Readers will find that this biography utilizes previously unavailable diaries to provide insights into Willard’s life and philosophy. The text examines the WCTU as the first mass organization of American women, highlighting Willard’s blend of womanliness, Christian socialism, and equal rights advocacy. The book delves into the historical and political contexts of the 19th century, offering a nuanced perspective on feminism and social change in the United States.
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This volume is a biography of Francis Willard (1839-98) who became president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in 1879 and remained active in that role throughout the 1890s. She devoted most of her life to building the women’s organization that eventually secured the prohibition of alcoholic beverages. Using previously unavailable diaries, the author argues that the WCTU was the first mass organization of American women and that Willard’s emphasis on womanliness and domesticity were not conservative, but rather paired with radical social ideas. Willard is characterized as having a philosophy that is a meld of womanliness, Christian socialism, equal rights, and concern for nurturance.
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