American Social Leaders and Activists: American Biographies

American Social Leaders and Activists features more than 250 entries on important American activists and social leaders from Colonial times to the present. This A-to-Z biographical dictionary is composed of entries of men and women who have been at the forefront of social reform and, to a lesser extent, those who have directed reactionary movements. This volume encompasses figures who were prominent abolitionists, socialists, communists, temperance crusaders, suffragists, peace advocates, civil rights workers, labor organizers, and antiwar protesters. Keeping in mind that many social leaders and activists represent groups with social, economic, and political agendas, those included in this volume made their most memorable contributions to American society from positions outside of government and political office. The impact these leaders made in the lives of Americans spread far beyond the work and support of their colleagues and direct supporters and into the mainstream national consciousness. In some cases, their prominence in the United States made them internationally known. Wide in scope of time, activity, gender, and ethnicity, American Social Leaders & Activists provides valuable insight into the lives of many of those who have profoundly affected American lives. - Grace Abbot: social worker, child labor