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.

"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