Two Paths to Equality: Alice Paul and Ethel M. Smith in the Era Debate, 1921-1929 [Paperback]

Amy E. Butler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0791453200 | ISBN-13: 978-0791453209 | Publication Date: April 11, 2002

A comprehensive look at the ERA debates of the 1920's.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In Two Paths to Equality, Amy E. Butler provides a fascinating portrait of two of the major adversaries in the 1920s' battle over equal rights legislation for women in the United States-Alice Paul and Ethel M. Smith. While they shared the goal of full political and legal equality for women, they differed on how best to achieve it. Paul, the author of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and leader of the National Woman's Party, fought to establish that women were the same as men under the law. Smith, legislative secretary of the National Women's Trade Union League and a recognized leader of the opposition to the ERA, believed the ERA did not adequately consider the impact of class and economic differences in women's lives and consequently would sacrifice the interests of one group of women to another. Smith and Paul's conflict is a telling story of the inextricable relationship between personal politics, collective action, and the intersection of law and culture on the social construction of gender. Comparing their perspectives on equality creates a new understanding of the people and issues at stake in the ERA debate. AUTHORBIO: Amy E. Butler is an independent scholar who resides in Washington, D.C. and a former member of the National Woman's Party Board of Directors. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Amy E. Butler is an independent scholar who resides in Washington, D.C. and a former member of the National Woman's Party Board of Directors. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (April 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791453200
• ISBN-13: 978-0791453209
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book about the ERA, July 7, 2007

By 

Heather (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Paths to Equality: Alice Paul and Ethel M. Smith in the Era Debate, 1921-1929 (Paperback)

I really liked this book. Amy E. Butler expertly deals with the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) and two of the more important figures in the early ERA debate. Many books I have read on the subject deal with the ERA broadly and do not focus on individuals, so I really found this book useful. It shows the different sides to the debate and what the two women believed/thought. A great book for anyone interested in the topic.