Celebrating International Women’s Day and the upcoming centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote, Rutgers University Press announced today the publication of “Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote,” in association with the Library of Congress.

The book is the official illustrated companion to the Library of Congress exhibition of the same name and will be published June 4 to coincide with the exhibit’s opening. The exhibition and the book tell the story of the long campaign for women’s suffrage — the largest reform movement in American history — lasting over seven decades. The struggle was not for the fainthearted. For years, determined women organized, lobbied, paraded, petitioned, lectured, picketed and faced imprisonment.

Running from June 4, 2019, through September 2020, the exhibition draws from the Library’s extensive collections of personal papers and organizational records of such figures as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Church Terrell, Carrie Chapman Catt, the National Woman’s Party, the National American Woman Suffrage Association and others. Documents, images, video and audio recordings will trace the movement leading to the women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, the contributions of suffragists who worked to persuade women that they deserved the same rights as men, the divergent political strategies and internal divisions they overcame, the push for a federal women’s suffrage amendment and the legacy of this movement.

“The history of this struggle is one of celebration and setbacks, commanded by dynamic and formidable personalities — changemakers — who believed in relentless action and civil disobedience in the name of equality and justice. In fighting for the right to vote, women formed national political organizations, developed new strategies for protest, and brought women into the public sphere in new and more visible ways. These advances laid the groundwork for civic action that has been emulated by those working for other civil rights causes,” said Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress.

“‘Shall Not Be Denied’ is a gorgeous collection that sheds new light on the long fight for women's suffrage. As a trailblazing publisher of women's history, Rutgers University Press is thrilled to partner with the Library of Congress to publish this exciting volume,” said Rutgers University Press Assistant Editor Elisabeth Maselli.

Rutgers University Press is a leading publisher of Women's Studies, having published, among other titles, the six-volume set of “The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony,” edited by Anne D. Gordon, and “Treacherous Texts: An Anthology of U.S. Suffrage Literature, 1846-1946,” edited by Mary Chapman and Angela Mills.

“Shall Not Be Denied” is part of a yearlong initiative in 2019 inviting Library visitors to Explore America’s Changemakers through a series of exhibitions, events and programs. Exhibitions drawing from the Library’s collections will explore the fight for women’s suffrage, Rosa Parks’ groundbreaking role in civil rights history and artists’ responses to major issues of the day. Other events throughout the year will explore changemakers through music, performances and public programs.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Rutgers University Press is dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge to scholars, students, and the general reading public. The Press reflects and extends the University’s core mission of research, instruction, and service. We enhance the work of our authors through exceptional publications that shape critical issues, spark debate, and enrich teaching throughout the world for a wide range of readers.