In the late nineteenth century, an era in which women were expanding the influence outside the home, Irish American women carved out unique opportunities to serve the needs of their communities. For many women, this began with a commitment to Irish nationalism. In Respectability and Reform, McCarthy explores the contributions of a small group of Irish American women in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era who emerged as leaders, organizers, and activists. Profiles of these women suggest not only that Irish American women had a political tradition of their own but also that the diversity of the Irish American community fostered a range of priorities and approaches to activism. McCarthy focuses on three movements-the Irish nationalist movement, the labor movement, and the suffrage movement-to trace the development of women's political roles. Highlighting familiar activists such as Fanny and Anna Parnell, as well as many lesser-known suffragists, McCarthy sheds light on the range of economic and social backgrounds found among the activists. She also shows that Irish American women's commitment to social justice persisted from the Land War through the World War I era. In unearthing the rich and varied stories of these Irish American women, Respectablity and Reform deepens our understanding of their intersection with and contribution to the larger context of American women's activism.
"McCarthy elegantly connects the quest of Irish American women for respectability with their activism on behalf of their community."
Hasia R. Diner, author of Erin's Daughters in America
"Respectability and Reform dramatically shifts our understanding of Irish American women's lives and deserves a wide readership not just by those interested in Irish American history but in American history more generally."
Ely Janis, author of A Greater Ireland
"This interesting book will go some way to fill a void in historical studies as, while much ink has been spilled on the work of John Devoy, O'Donovan Rossa and other men in the Irish national movement in America, relatively little has been written about the role women played there, in not only the national movement, but also in the suffragette and progressive movements."
