Women of Conscience : Social Reform in Danville, Illinois, 1890¿1930

"A case study in the evolution and influence of women's groups as they moved from the private to public spheres, Women of Conscience documents the means by which church groups, literary study groups, and benevolent societies empowered women in a small, midwestern town to enact progressive community reforms and achieve suffrage. In their appraisal of the efforts and actions of the clubwomen of Danville, Illinois, Janet Duitsman Cornelius and Martha LaFrenz Kay illustrate the power of women united in purpose to redress societal shortcomings and amend social injustices." "Cornelius and Kay have mined municipal records, newspapers, magazines, and commercial statistics to create robust and fully realized portraits of specific clubs and leaders in Danville, capturing the heartfelt zeal and earnest ambitions of these inspiring women and evoking the spirit that motivated many other advocates of progressive social reforms during this transitional period in American life."--BOOK JACKET.