Clarina Nichols: Frontier Crusader for Women's Rights

Gr 7 Up—Eickhoff introduces Clarina Nichols, an often overlooked Vermont newspaper publisher who played an important role in the beginnings of the women's movement. As a child growing up in 19th-century Vermont, Nichols was often witness to acts of injustice and abuse toward the women of her town. This provided her with the motivation to pursue a career in journalism and to use that position to advocate and become a leader for the women's rights, abolition, and temperance movements. Combining primary sources with an engaging narrative of Nichols's life, this title takes care to frame her personal struggles within the larger context of the women's movement. However, it must be mentioned that the text does nothing to address the intersection of issues facing women of color, and it fails to acknowledge that this was primarily a white women's movement. This is a problematic oversight that will require work on the part of educators when using this title in a discussion.