Reviews for Character And Opinion In The United States

The average rating for Character And Opinion In The United States based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-02-20 00:00:00 Lidia V Ferrentino I wanted to like Edwards' book. She outlines how women, before they had the vote, influenced, interacted, and identified with American political parties. The book begins with the Civil War and women's role as the moral, religious center of the household and, in turn, the nation. Edwards notes that men embraced their political role as masculine protectors of feminine virtue (with violent consequences during "redemption"). Edwards then explains how, in general, each party understood threats to the home differently. Republicans used domestic rhetoric and the morality of women to justify policies that reinforced these roles. 19th century Democrats, in contrast, generally understood that women's dependency was central to the authority of white men. By extension, this also created a climate in which Republicans were more likely to include women in public political events (campaigns, speeches, parades, etc). She argues that women's role as a household's primary consumer generated opportunities for women to enter the political sphere, particularly during the tariff debates. Edwards' also discusses how the increased visibility of first ladies reinforced the domestic roles available to politically engaged women. Throughout "Angels in the Machinery," Edwards makes clear the competing loyalties that pulled politically active women in different directions. Not only were there regional divides (the west being generally more accepting of suffrage than the northeast and the south being outright hostile), race and class colored women's efforts to influence party politics. Likewise, the major parties' refusal to endorse a suffrage plank put women in a difficult position; given the US' winner-take-all political system, they needed to remain in good standing with the victors if any women's suffrage legislation would pass. The book then moves forward to the party realignment of the 1890s. She emphasizes that the economic conditions forced a general return to conservatism and retreat of women from the public sphere. In Edwards' account, women's political and reform successes during the Progressive era reflect their ability to harness different roles open to them (particularly as scientific experts). Unfortunately, Edwards' extremely narrow focus on electoral politics excludes important social dynamics. She does occasionally discuss male anxiety in response to women's changing political roles, but this falls far short of an in-depth analysis of the reasons politicians were hesitant to enfranchise women, accept their council, or generally include them in the polity. Edwards is clear that men embraced their role as "protector" but in my opinion fails to account for why that role was under threat. The patriarchy was alive and well in the late 19th century! While I did not expect Edwards' to include a full explanation of early/proto-feminism, I think that she does a disservice to the women advocating for reformed divorce laws, for example, by constraining their action to the realm of partisan politics.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-03-06 00:00:00 Michael Powell Angels in the Machinery is the book to read if you are looking for a scholarly take on Gilded Age developments in these three areas: -Evolution of American Political Parties- Both the Republican and Democratic parties have certainly undergone dramatic changes in terms of both ideology and political tactics, so it was interesting to see the reasons behind these transformations. -Women's Emerging Political Participation & the Struggle for Suffrage- Efforts of various women activists are well documented and placed in context. Often we learn about the activities of suffragists without gaining an understanding of their social and political environment. Edwards does an excellent job of explaining practical factors that drove suffragist's strategies. -Temperance- I was surprised to learn how prominent a role the Temperance movement played in social and political development during this period and how strongly it was tied to economic conditions. My only criticism of Angels in the Machinery is that it can be dry-- but when I stop to consider the vast amount of information Edwards covers in a book that is just over 200 pages, I feel a bit hesitant to complain.