Frances Willard (1839-1898) was one of the most prominent American social reformers of the late nineteenth century. As the long-time president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), Willard built a national and international movement of women that campaigned for prohibition, women’s rights, economic justice, and numerous other social justice issues during the Gilded Age. Emphasizing what she called “Do Everything” reform, Willard became a central figure in international movements in support of prohibition, women’s suffrage, and Christian socialism.
The first biography of Frances Willard to be published in over thirty-five years, Do Everything, by Christopher H. Evans, explores Willard’s life, her contributions as a reformer, and critiques her broader legacy as a women’s rights activist in the United States. The book pays particular attention to how Willard crafted a distinctive culture of women’s leadership, emphasizing the centrality of her religious faith.
Written by Christopher H. Evans, Boston University
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