Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

"Vapnek beautifully weaves together the important political issues of the Twentieth Century. Whether it s world war, labor, radicalism, feminism, race relations, socialism, or immigration, the story of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn makes these big intangible themes come to life. Roseanne M. Barker, Associate Professor, Department of History, Sam Houston State University Praise for the Lives of American Women series: Finally! The majority of studentsby which I mean womenwill have the opportunity to read biographies of women from our nation s past. (Men can read them too, of course!) The Lives of American Women series features an eclectic collection of books, readily accessible to students who will be able to see the contributions of women in many fields over the course of our history. Long overdue, these books will be a valuable resource for teachers, students, and the public at large. Cokie Roberts, author of "Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty" In 1906, fifteen-year old Elizabeth Gurley Flynn mounted a soapbox in Times Square to denounce capitalism and proclaim a new era for women s freedom. Quickly recognized as a formidable public speaker and organizer, she devoted her life to creating a socialist America free from poverty, exploitation, greed and injustice. Flynn became the most important female leader of the Industrial Workers of the World and of the American Communist Party, fighting tirelessly for workers rights to organize and to express dissenting ideas. Weaving together Flynn s personal and political life, this biography reveals previously unrecognized connections between feminism, socialism, free love, and free speech. Flynn s remarkable career casts new light on the long and varied history of radicalism in the United States. Lara Vapnek teaches at St. John s University in New York City and is a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians. She specializes in the history of gender, labor, and politics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century United States. Her previous publications include "Breadwinners: Working Women and Economic Independence, 1865-1920," as well as several articles on women s labor history. Series Editor Carol Berkin is a well-known women s historian and the author of many popular and scholarly books, including "Civil War Wives." She is Professor of History Emerita at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and she is a member of the Society of American Historians."