Jailed for Freedom

By: Doris Stevens

Narrated by: Karen Commins

Although half of the population, women were treated as second class citizens in the United States and denied the fundamental right to vote. In 1872, Susan B. Anthony dared to cast her vote in a national election. She was arrested, tried, and convicted of the crime of "voting without having a lawful right to vote".

Women continuously asked for the vote. They pleaded for it for decades. Some states granted enfranchisement, but Congress could not be persuaded to adopt an amendment guaranteeing women their long-overdue national enfranchisement.

Alice Paul, a quiet but compelling leader, learned about militant tactics in England from the Pankhursts. She returned to the United States and led a group of women who became the National Woman's Party in a suffrage parade in Washington, DC. This 1913 parade occurred the day before Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as president. These determined women pressured Congress and publicly reminded Wilson every day of the suffrage issue until he surrendered.

This thrilling, firsthand account from suffragist Doris Stevens details the organized protests that hundreds of courageous women from across the country undertook in DC between 1913 and 1919, as well as the brutal consequences they had to endure. They were ridiculed, persecuted, jailed, beaten, and forcibly fed. Nevertheless, they persisted until they eventually prevailed.

Jewel Audiobooks is proud and honored to publish this captivating audiobook in recognition of those remarkable, resilient women and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.

Public Domain (P)2020 Jewel Audiobooks

History from someone who lived it!

I enjoyed the tone and pace of this book. Doris Steven's personal point of view as well as those of her fellow suffragists was much more interesting then similar books.

So Very Informative

I knew a fair amount about women fight for and winning (not being given) The Vote, but I certainly didn’t know how much of a fight it was. Normally I don’t “go” for books in this much detail, but on this subject I do. There is so much apathy about voting in general, but for women to take it for granted is just…damn near a sin! Our suffragette sisters must be turning in their graves if they could see the state of women blowing off the hard won vote now. They were beaten, force fed and all sorts of awful things so we could have the privilege of voting. I know I come off as some kind of a nut, but if they had 1/10th of the knowledge on this I think they might look at it differently. Just watch the movie “Iron Jawed Angels”. You might learn something.

Persevere! This is an amazing historical account.

If you've seen the musical 'Suffs', this is the book it's based on.
It's a journalistic account of the years leading up to women gaining the vote in the USA in 1920.
Parts are pretty dry, and you have to be as patient as the women were, while politicians bloviate and the 19th amendment moves like molasses through government.
But much this book is really compelling and the reader is introduced to brave and determined people who never quit on their mission to get women's suffrage.
Worth the effort.