Emily Davies: Collected Letters, 1861-1875

Much of the social change that Davies witnessed—and helped to effect—was discussed, encouraged, and elicited through her personal correspondence. These letters, written to friends, allies, and potential supporters during the years of Davies’s greatest political and social activity, reveal the evolution of her skill and sophistication as an activist. They also show the development of women’s suffrage, education, and journalism movements from a group of loosely affiliated like-minded friends to an astute and organized political network of reformers. In these letters–most of which have never been published—we see Davies struggle to understand and theorize about the role of women, cajole and encourage potential supporters, explore complexities of various reform movements, and demonstrate her formidable attention to detail in inventing and constructing an imaginable new institution. Her intensely engaged life placed Davies at the very heart of the events that transformed her era.