Comic · State University of New York Press

Suffrage and Its Limits

The New York Story

"Suffrage and its Limits offers a unique interdisciplinary overview of the legacy and limits of suffrage for the women of New York State. It commemorates the state suffrage centennial of 2017 yet arrives in time to contribute to celebrations around the national centennial of 2020. Bringing together scholars with a wide variety of research specialties, it initiates a timely dialogue that links an appreciation of past accomplishments to a clearer understanding of present problems and an agenda for future progress. The first three chapters, "Investigating the Past," are dedicated to the state suffrage movement, the 1917 victory, and what New York women did with the vote. The next three chapters, "Interrogating the Present," focus on the current status of women and politics in New York. The final three chapters, "Imagining the Future," take a prospective look at the limits of liberal feminism and its unfinished agenda for women's equality in New York. A preface by Lieutenant Governor Katherine Hochul and a final chapter by activist Barbara Smith bookend the discussion. Combining diverse approaches and analyses in a single volume the collection enables readers to make connections between history, political science, public policy, sociology, philosophy, and activism. This study moves beyond merely celebrating the centennial to tackle women's issues of today and tomorrow"--