Elizabeth Cobbs — Fearless Women- in conversation with Liza Mundy

Author Elizabeth Cobbs gives a book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

When America became a nation, a woman had no legal existence beyond her husband. If he abused her, she couldn't leave without abandoning her children. Abigail Adams tried to change this, reminding her husband John to "remember the ladies" when he wrote the Constitution. He simply laughed--and women have been fighting for their rights ever since. Fearless Women tells the story of women who dared to take destiny into their own hands. They were feminists and antifeminists, activists and homemakers, victims of abuse and pathbreaking professionals. Inspired by the nation's ideals and fueled by an unshakeable sense of right and wrong, they wouldn't take no for an answer. In time, they carried the country with them. The first right they won was the right to learn. Later, impassioned teachers like Angelina Grimké and Susan B. Anthony campaigned for the right to speak in public, lobby the government, and own property. Some were passionate abolitionists. Others fought just to protect their own children. Many of these women devoted their lives to the cause--some are famous--but most pressed their demands far from the spotlight, insisting on their right to vote, sit on a jury, control the timing of their pregnancies, enjoy equal partnerships, or earn a living. At every step, they faced fierce opposition. Elizabeth Cobbs gives voice to fearless women on both sides of the aisle, most of whom considered themselves patriots. Rich and poor, from all backgrounds and regions, they show that the women's movement has never been an exclusive club.

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Elizabeth Cobbs holds the Melbern Glasscock Chair in American History at Texas A&M University. A prizewinning historian, novelist, and documentary filmmaker, she is the author of The Hello Girls: America’s First Women Soldiers, American Umpire, The Hamilton Affair (a New York Times bestseller), and The Tubman Command.

Cobbs is joined in conversation with, Liza Mundy, the author of four books including Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II, a New York Times best-seller, a Washington Post best-seller, and a Wall Street journal best-seller. A former staff writer for the Washington Post, Mundy is also the New York Times-bestselling author of Michelle: A Biography, a 2008 biography of former First Lady Michelle Obama. She has appeared on The Colbert Report, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, MSNBC, CNN, C-Span, and National Public Radio shows including Weekend Edition, All Things Considered, the Diane Rehm Show, and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. She lives in Washington, D.C.

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Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.