When I was asked to contribute to Penguin’s Pelican series, I was determined to write an accessible account of feminist history that would place it in global perspective. This ambitious framing was certainly taxing, and I must confess, at times…
Category: Blog
The Women’s History Network blog
Recovering female small business owners in early twentieth-century Bath by Diana Russell
Many histories of Bath have focused on its rise to become Britain’s premier spa in the late eighteenth century before it slipped into staid respectability after its heyday.[i] The prevalent narrative suggests that ‘nothing much happened’ in the first quarter…
When 100 Years Is Not Enough! Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins
February is Black History Month in the United States. A time when we attempt to correct the omission of the contributions of people of color from historic narratives, 2021 marks the 95th anniversary of what began as Negro History Week…
A supposititious child by Dr Linda Maynard
On 26 August 1910, a notice appeared in the San Francisco Examiner: ‘Wanted. For adoption – a newly born infant; must be a boy.’ Four years later, Dorothy Slingsby, an American in her forties, finally confessed to placing the advert.…
Results of the MA dissertation prize by Dr Lyndsey Jenkins
The Women’s History Network is delighted to announce the first winner of our MA dissertation prize. We received many entries of an extremely high quality. We were particularly impressed with the overall standard given the many difficulties students experienced in…
WHN Student Conference 2021: Studying Herstories
WHN Student Conference 2021: Studying Herstories Programme and Registration Details We are excited to announce our inaugural student conference on International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2021. This conference will celebrate all of the fresh perspectives that students bring to the study…
The Role of Women’s Genealogical Societies in the Rewriting of American History, c. 1890-1914 by Anya Cooper
In the aftermath of the Civil War, American nationalists faced the question of how to forge a participatory sense of allegiance to a nation recently divided over slavery. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the United Daughters of…
Suffragettes of Kent by Jennifer Godfrey
The research for my book, Suffragettes of Kent, provided insight into many historic journeys of hope, determination and courage. In the course of my research I discovered many heart-warming stories, including the fruit farmers who provided a place to stay…






