The Bluestockings:
A History of the First Women's Movement
By Susannah Gibson
why we picked it
The Bluestocking is a beloved trope in Regency romance, characterized by a female protagonist who defies societal expectations with her intellectual pursuits and interests that lie outside traditional gender norms. While this trope is widely recognized and celebrated in literature, the movement that inspired its name is often overlooked.
The Bluestockings: A History of the First Women’s Movement delves into the rich political foundations of this influential group, exploring the realities of the era and highlighting the remarkable women who played pivotal roles in advancing women’s rights. This resource is invaluable for writers seeking inspiration for strong, multifaceted female leads, as well as for anyone interested in the history of early feminist movements. By examining the struggles and triumphs of these trailblazers, readers gain a deeper understanding of the social landscape that shaped their stories and the ongoing journey toward gender equality.
Summary
In Britain in the 1750s, women had no power and no rights - all money and property belonged to their fathers or husbands. A brave group risked everything to think and live as they wished, despite the sneers of contemporaries who argued that books frazzled female brains and damaged their wombs.
Meet the Bluestockings:
ELIZABETH MONTAGU hosted a series of glittering salons in her London drawing room, where a circle of women and men discussed theatre, philosophy and the classics, competing to outdo each other in wit and brilliance. Discover how she took on Voltaire and won.
Whilst nursing twelve children and helping run her bullying husband's brewery, HESTER THRALE took key writers under her wing - Dr Johnson moved into her house for several years. Her vivid diaries offer a powerful chronicle of what happened when she finally decided to follow her heart.
Find out how poetess and former milkmaid ANN YEARSLEY fought back when her snobbish patron refused to hand over her earnings because she was working class and thus irresponsible . . .
Or how CATHERINE MACAULEY's eight volume history of England caused such a sensation that she became a leading light in the American Revolution - while her unorthodox love-life scandalised her contemporaries . . .
In this brilliant book, Susannah Gibson explores the lives and legacies of these and other figures who went on to inspire writers and thinkers from Mary Wollstonecraft to Virginia Woolf and lead the way for feminism.
Bluestockings: the unexpected and inspiring stories of the forgotten heroines of Britain's very first women's movement.
