Widows: Poverty, Power and Politics

The unlikely history of women’s empowerment through widowhood. Historically seen as figures of pity and foreboding - poverty stricken receivers of charity, tragic figures dressed in black and even sometimes sexually voracious predators or witches - widows have been subject to powerful stereotypes that have endured for centuries. But for many women, widowhood unfolded into a vastly more complex story. From being property of men and housekeepers - the owners of nothing - they found themselves suddenly enfranchised, empowered and free to conduct themselves however they wished. From determined suffrage campaigners and politicians, to entrepreneurs and newly self-made women, the effect of widows’ might can be seen throughout history. Here eminent historians Maggie Andrews and Janis Lomas pull together the stories of fascinating women and their exploits after being widowed, and show how their greatest loss became, in many ways, their biggest gain. AUTHORS: Maggie Andrews is Professor of Cultural History at the University of Worcester, whose wide range of research and publications focus on femininity and domesticity. She is an active member of the Women’s History Network and lives in Pershore, Worcestershire. 12 b/w illustrations Janis Lomas completed her PhD on war widows at the University of Staffordshire and later worked as a lecturer in women’s history at the University of Birmingham. She was a founding member of the Women’s History Network and founded the WHN Midlands Region.
21 b/w illustrations