Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights

The American Revolution was less than a century old when the spirit of change rose anew. The “peculiar” institution of slavery was being challenged by men and women, primarily in the northern United States. Martha Coffin Wright possessed a rebellious spirit, being born of Quaker parents and from an area that stressed egalitarianism. Frances Miller was the daughter of a judge, and she married a budding politician named William Henry Seward. She learned from an early age to despise the cruelties inflicted on African Americans due to slavery and intolerance. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and raised on a Maryland plantation. The brutality inflicted on her along with the prospect of her family being divided led to her escape and her role in the Underground Railroad. Together, these three women would form a lasting bond that would usher in a resounding change.

The Agitators is an impressive narrative of three women who were at the center of a burgeoning movement. Their trailblazing path is captured and related deftly by the author, their triumphs and tragedies narrated emphatically for a modern audience. All three women lived and breathed for the freedom of all men and women, selflessly giving as much as they were capable. An A+ historical narrative.