The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol

The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol tells the story of a band of intrepid women and their one-ton bronze bell that became an icon of the American women's suffrage movement. With its clapper chained and muted to represent the silencing of women's voices, the Justice Bell rallied support for the cause in the years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. More than a century ago, the bell was a media darling. Seen by more than a million people during a months-long tour, it drew crowds, headlines, and widespread curiosity. Today, few people know about the once-famous bell, although it remains one of the rare surviving artifacts of the suffrage era. Drawing on new research and historical photographs, Amanda Owen illustrates how suffragists' clever use of a bell as a branding tool for voting rights created an attention-getting campaign. Along the way, they confronted a well-funded liquor industry terrified that women voters would ban alcohol, manufacturers convinced women would limit child labor, and men who believed women weren't smart enough to vote. The Justice Bell features noted events and speeches, and profiles suffragists whose persistence sustained a decades-long movement. As new generations seek strategies in the ongoing pursuit of voting rights and gender equality, Owen's account of a story from the past reminds us that a symbol has the power to galvanize people and fuel a movement.