The Truest Form of Patriotism: Pacifist Feminism in Britain, 1870-1902

Description

This book explores the pervasive influence of pacifism on Victorian feminism. Drawing on previously unused source material, it provides an account of Victorian women who campaigned for peace and the many feminists who incorporated pacifist ideas into their writing on women and women's work. It explores feminists' ideas about the role of women within the empire, their eligibility for citizenship and their ability to act as moral guardians in public life. Brown shows that such ideas made use--in varying ways--of gendered understandings of the role of force and the relevance of arbitration and other pacifist strategies. Brown examines the work of a wide range of individuals and organizations, from well-known feminists such as Lydia Becker, Josephine Butler and Millicent Garrett Fawcett, to lesser-known figures such as the Quaker pacifists Ellen Robinson and Priscilla Peckover. Review"This is a clearly written and well-organized study of a neglected topic. The author makes a strong case for pacifist feminism and shows how and why the movement developed in the way it did. The book will introduce many to extraordinary women while giving new insights into more familiar figures."--Karen Hunt, Manchester Metropolitan University About the AuthorHeloise Brown is Professor Emeriths at the University of Huddersfield until and is now a researcher in Belfast. [C:\Users\Microsoft\Documents\Calibre Library]