Dolley Madison

Allgor digs deep beneath the surface of the 'Magnificent Doll,' revealing the far-reaching impact Dolley Madison had upon the political landscape of the early nineteenth century and the collective psyche of the American public for generations to come. --Booklist Praise for Lives of American Women Finally! The majority of students--by which I mean women--will 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 Just what any professor wants: books that will intrigue, inform, and fascinate students! These short, readable biographies of American women--specifically designed for classroom use--give instructors an appealing new option to assign to their history students. --Mary Beth Norton, Mary Donlon Alger Professor of American History, Cornell University For educators keen to include women in the American story, but hampered by the lack of thoughtful, concise scholarship, here comes 'Lives of American Women,' embracing Abigail Adams's counsel to John--'remember the ladies.' And high time, too! --Lesley S. Herrmann, Executive Director, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History These books are, above all, fascinating stories that will engage and inspire readers. They offer a glimpse into the lives of key women in history who either defied tradition or who successfully maneuvered in a man's world to make an impact. The stories of these vital contributors to American history deliver just the right formula for instructors looking to provide a more complicated and nuanced view of history. --Rosanne Lichatin, 2005 Gilder Lehrman Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Students both in the general survey course and in specialized offerings like my course on U.S. women's history can get a great understanding of an era from a short biography. Learning a lot about a single but complex character really helps to deepen appreciation of what women's lives were like in the past. --Patricia Cline Cohen, University of California, Santa Barbara Biographies are, indeed, back. Not only will students read them, biographies provide an easy way to demonstrate particularly important historical themes or ideas... Undergraduate readers will be challenged to think more deeply about what it means to be a woman, citizen, and political actor... I am eager to use this in my undergraduate survey and specialty course. --Jennifer Thigpen, Washington State University, Pullman The Lives of American Women authors raise all of the big issues I want my classes to confront--and deftly fold their arguments into riveting narratives that maintain students' excitement. --Woody Holton, author of Abigail Adams