Sophonisba Breckinridge

Sophonisba Breckinridge (1866-1948) was involved in virtually every reform--including legal aid for immigrants, civil rights for blacks, labor legislation for workers, juvenile courts for youth, and citizenship rights for women--of both the Progressive and New Deal eras. She also played an important role in the development of the welfare state. As a social scientist, a social worker, and a public policy consultant, she played a key role in the development and the implementation of the 1935 Social Security Act. Breckinridge’s influence extended beyond national boundaries. As a founding member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the first American woman to represent the United States at an international diplomatic conference, she promoted international cooperation and exemplified feminist pacifism. Nationally and internationally renowned in her own lifetime, since her death Breckinridge has been largely forgotten. By foregrounding the life and work of this forgotten feminist, this biography of Breckinridge provides a fresh interpretation of women’s activism in modern America. A close look at Breckinridge’s lifelong commitment to social justice reveals previously unappreciated connections between women’s work on behalf of racial justice, civil liberties, world peace, social services, international relations, labor organizing, immigration policy, public health, child welfare, and women’s rights. Spanning the decades from the Civil War to the Cold War and covering a broad range of topics, this book demonstrates both the continuity and the diversity of women’s activism in modern America.