Women’s Suffrage and Abolition Julia Ward Howe Biography 1915 with Autograph Manuscript on Democratic Reform

Julia Ward Howe

First Edition

Richards, Laura E.; Howe Elliott, Maude (eds.). Julia Ward Howe: 1819–1910, 1915, compiles the life and writings of Julia Ward Howe, a central figure in nineteenth-century reform movements including abolition and women’s suffrage. Best known for authoring “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Howe’s career extended into sustained advocacy for women’s rights and social reform. This biography, prepared by her daughters, brings together previously unpublished material and correspondence, situating Howe within the intellectual and political networks that shaped American reform culture. The inclusion of an original manuscript in Howe’s hand provides direct evidence of her political thought, particularly her critique of entrenched aristocratic systems and her emphasis on progressive social change. The work supports research into women’s rights history, abolitionist networks, and nineteenth-century political philosophy.

Richards, Laura E.; Howe Elliott, Maude. Julia Ward Howe: 1819–1910. Boston and New York, 1915. First edition. Two volumes, one of 450 copies printed. Octavo, bound in original brown cloth with leather spine labels gilt. Illustrated with 23 plates. Volume I contains a tipped-in autograph manuscript by Howe, comprising 19 lines in her hand. The manuscript includes reflections on resistance to reform, stating in part: “I know there are difficulties connected with the treatment of this question… See how slowly & unwillingly mankind ever find out that they have been in the wrong… See the old systems of astronomy reluctantly giving place to the Copernican system. See Europe holding on to Aristocratic traditions…” The text emphasizes the persistence of outdated systems and the necessity of intellectual and political progress.

Published in the early twentieth century as part of a broader effort to preserve the legacy of nineteenth-century reformers, the biography reflects the continued relevance of Howe’s ideas in the context of ongoing suffrage campaigns leading up to the Nineteenth Amendment. The autograph manuscript strengthens the work’s value as a primary document of Howe’s thought, illustrating her engagement with questions of democracy, tradition, and reform. Wear and toning to cloth; light fraying at spine ends; leather labels rubbed; lacking dust jackets as issued; interiors clean; overall in good condition.

Item #15583

Price: $550.00