full

Elaine Weiss, author of The Woman's Hour

In the summer of 1920, 35 states had ratified the 19th Amendment, 12 had rejected it or refused to vote, and one last state was needed or the amendment might die. After a seven-decade crusade, it all came down to Tennessee; it was the moment of truth for the suffragists, and also for their antagonists, the "Antis." The political freedom of half of the nation was at stake. In The Woman's Hour, Elaine Weiss tells the story of the nail-biting climax of one of the greatest political battles in American history—the fight to ratify the constitutional amendment that gave women the vote.

Friends of Knox County Public Library, Union Ave Books, the East Tennessee Historical Society, radio station WUOT and the Knox County Public Library hosted the evening with award-winning journalist and writer Elaine Weiss on March 8, 2018. In her remarks, Weiss asserted the relevance of the events of that summer to today's political environment.

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Knox Pods
Knox Pods
Podcasts of Knox County Public Library

About your hosts

Profile picture for Melissa Brenneman

Melissa Brenneman

Melissa listens to hours of podcasts on most days. She started the habit with the intention of taking long walks, but podcasts proved to be more addicting than exercise. She records, edits and mixes podcasts for the library.
Profile picture for Alan May

Alan May

Alan May works as a librarian at Lawson McGhee Library. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama. In his spare time, he reads and writes poetry. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Quarterly, The Hollins Critic, The Idaho Review, DIAGRAM, and others. He has published three books of poetry.