Her Hat Was in the Ring

“A highly readable study about the inspiring women who paved the way for female political leadership in America.” - Kirkus Reviews

“The fight for women’s suffrage in the United States is a well-known story; less so is the history of women’s struggle to run for and serve in elected office. This well-written account documents a critical chapter in American political history.” - Booklist

“An extremely well-written, well-researched, and impressive account about the thousands of women who ran for public office before the passage of the 19th amendment. The topic has been touched upon only tangentially in the past, and, in this essential study, the writers enable us to see how important it ultimately is to our understanding of the history of suffrage and of women’s rights in America.” - Kenneth Florey, author of Secrets of the Suffragists: Murder, Martyrdom, and the Occult on the Movement’s Fringes

“This book is full of surprises! By treating women’s ambitions for public office as related to but not identical with the woman suffrage movement, it enriches our understanding of how American women expanded their presence in public life. My hat is off to Her Hat Was in the Ring!” - Robyn Muncy, Professor of History, University of Maryland, College Park

“How illuminating to learn about the thousands of women who ran for office long before women secured the right to vote. Her Hat Was in the Ring makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of women’s political history, providing us with insight into the untold stories of these political pioneers.” - Debbie Walsh, Director, Center for American Women and Politics

Wendy E. Chmielewski

Wendy E. Chmielewski served as the George R. Cooley Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection from 1988 through 2020. She is a co-editor of Jane Addams and the Practice of Democracy and numerous other works. Chmielewski is a co-founder of the “Her Hat Was in the Ring” digital history project.

Jill Norgren

Jill Norgren is Professor Emerita in the Department of Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, and the author of numerous books including Belva Lockwood: The Woman Who Would be President, and Stories from Trailblazing Women Lawyers: Lives in the Law. She is a longtime member of New York’s Women Writing Women’s Lives Seminar and a co-founder of the “Her Hat Was in the Ring” digital history project.

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