"This woman's place is in the house—The House of Representatives!"
That was the slogan of Bella Abzug's successful 1970 election campaign. But from the first Congress, in 1789, until the 65th Congress, in 1917, women served in neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate. It wasn't until a suffragist from Montana named Jeannette Rankin won her state's congressional election that women first came to the House. "I may be the first woman member of Congress," she declared, "but I won't be the last." She wasn't, but it's been slow going.
Beginning with the women's suffrage movement and ending with the 2012 elections. A Woman in the House (and Senate) chronicles more than 150 years of American history and the lives of the female leaders who have helped shape it. Bestselling author Ilene Cooper highlights the victories—and defeats—of the diverse and inspiring group of women who have worked tirelessly to break down barriers and open doors for countless other women, as well as children and men, across our nation. Those profiled include Rebecca Felton, the first female senator; Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color in Congress; Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in Congress; and contemporary leaders like Minority Leader and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Hispanic woman in Congress. The book includes illustrations and photographs throughout, an appendix, a bibliography, a chart showing every woman who has served in the United States Congress, and a foreword by former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe.
