Description

Frances Willard 18391898 was one of the most prominent American social reformers of the late nineteenth century As the longtime president of the Womans Christian Temperance Union WCTU Willard built a national and international movement of women that campaigned for prohibition womens 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 womens suffrage and Christian socialism

The first biography of Frances Willard to be published in over thirtyfive years Do Everything explores Willards life her contributions as a reformer and her broader legacy as a womens rights activist in the United States In addition to chronicling Willards life historian Christopher H Evans examines how Willard crafted a distinctive culture of womens leadership emphasizing the importance of religious faith for understanding Willards successes as a social reformer Despite her enormous fame during her lifetime Evans investigates the reasons why Willards legacy has been eclipsed by subsequent generations of feminist reformers and assesses her importance for our time