The Pure Food, Drink, and Drug Crusaders, 1879-1914 [Paperback]

Lorine Swainston Goodwin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786427426 | ISBN-13: 978-0786427420 | Publication Date: July 5, 2006

Under a likeness of President Theodore Roosevelt in the Library of Congress, a plaque lists the Pure Food and Drink Law of 1906 as one of the three landmark achievements of his administration. Few authorities would disagree. Designed to ensure the safety of foods, drinks and drugs, the law was one of the first pieces of social legislation enacted in the United States. Among the most enthusiastic and persistent crusaders for the bill’s passage were a wide array of women’s groups, many politically active for the first time.

Based in large part on primary sources, this work examines the many groups involved in the passage of the Pure Food and Drink Law and how their work affected American society. Part One examines the origins of the movement and why women became so involved. Part Two focuses on the primary groups involved in the law’s passage, such as the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. How it was that such diverse groups rallied around this issue is also explored. The industrial and political opposition to the law and how the crusaders overcame it is covered in Part Three, along with details on how the law’s proponents were able to pressure the U.S. Congress into passing it and how they worked to see it fully implemented.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Impressive" -- The Journal of American History

"Intriguing...useful and new interpretations of the Progressive Era, the history of women’s activism, and food and drug regulations" -- Muse

"Well-written and convincing" -- Choice

About the Author

A retired pharmacist, Lorine Swainston Goodwin received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Missouri. She now lives in Columbia, Missouri.

Product Details

• Paperback: 359 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (July 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786427426
• ISBN-13: 978-0786427420
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars You Go Girls!, March 11, 2009

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This review is from: The Pure Food, Drink, and Drug Crusaders, 1879-1914 (Paperback)

I am enjoying this book, although I got it for a college paper. It's the first I've found about women helping make policy for this country. Many books mention how some women's group, or some woman (usually un-named) helped out a man whose name is all over the topic of choice (as if he did it all by himself), but this book spells out the names of the groups and the individuals who brought us some of the most necessary and useful (but often taken for granted) laws this country has known... WHO doesn't want safe foods and medications? Since our laws have been used as the gold standard worldwide and countless numbers of lives have been saved by the FD & C Act and other FDA standards for foods and medications, it's sure nice to know the names of some great women who led the march to make this country great in yet another area.