Examining the political activities of the period between 1920, when women gained the right to vote, and the mid-1960s, when the women's movement revived, Cynthia Harrison illuminates a long-neglected but vital chapter of women's history.

Cynthia Harrison received her Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University. From 1982 to 1988, she was managing editor of This Constitution, a journal published by the American Historical Association and the American Political Science Association.

"A significant contribution."—Ruth Rosen, Tikkun

"Cynthia Harrison's survey of feminism in the dark ages of postwar America is. . . both scholarly and immensely readable. . . . The old controversies Harrison unearths are as engrossing as today's presidential race in part because she writes with such grace and fervor, in part because she has such a comprehensive view of the actors and actions she records."—Booklist

"On Account of Sex is required reading for historians, political scientists, legislators and citizens who wish to influence the shaping of feminist public policy."—Linda Kerber, author of Women of the Republic

"Cynthia Harrison has written a splendid book—a fine combination of balanced historical narrative, penetrating social analysis, and provocative "nose-under-the-tentflap" political conclusions. It must be added to the list of indispensable works on women's politics and issues."—James MacGregor Burns, Williams College