Seffner resident Doris Weatherford is a renowned historical writer. Weatherford, who focuses on women’s history, has written a new book, Victory for the Vote: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage and the Century That Followed.
Weatherford will be a featured speaker in the upcoming Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative’s virtual event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote.
Weatherford’s book is an update of her book, A History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, which was written in 1998 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the United States.
Part one of the book outlines the struggle for women to attain certain rights in the United States from the 17th to 20th centuries. Part two details the events that happened since the passing of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago. This includes battles over the Equal Rights Amendment as well as equal pay and reproductive rights.
Weatherford said, “This is the only book that follows history [on this subject] from 1920 onward. There are a lot of books written on the subject of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the 19th Amendment, but only this book picks up in 1920.”
According to Weatherford, “The Suffrage Movement was about more than just getting the right to vote. It was about equal rights. For example, women were not allowed to serve on juries or receive inheritance. While the Equal Rights Amendment has not been ratified in every state, the movement that brought it forward helped to correct many injustices. It is a complex issue. It is not enough to just to celebrate the right to vote, you need to look at what has happened since then.”
Weatherford also pointed out that the Suffrage Movement was a well organized one with over two million members.
“To get an amendment passed, you need two thirds of both houses and three quarters of each state legislature. To pass the 19th Amendment took astute organizing,” explained Weatherford.
Weatherford has written more than a dozen books over a three-decade period. She is a sought-after speaker even though today many of her talks are done virtually, including her upcoming engagements with the GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club and the Palm Beach Historical Society.
For more information on Weatherford and her books, visit http://dweatherford.ag-sites.net/bio.htm.
