A Woman Making History: Mary Ritter Beard Through Her Letters

A founding mother of modern women's history, Beard (1857-1958) also was coauthor with her husband, Charles A. Beard, of such landmark works in U.S. history as The Rise of American Civilization . Although a force behind the World Center for Women's Archives and committed to preserving women's documents and finding locations to house them, Beard was opposed to the publication of her own letters and destroyed many of her personal papers. Cott, history professor at Yale University, has culled 141 of Beard's letters from the files of more than 30 correspondents, arranged them chronologically and added commentary to explain relevant issues and social contexts. Beard is revealed as suffragist, reformer, intellectual, author and wife who accepted the greater fame of her husband. Cott's comprehensive introduction praises Beard for her ground-breaking conviction that ``history looks different through women's eyes.'' The library of feminism is enriched by this book. Photos. (Mar.)