Foreword
Ayesha Hazarika
Apart from Mary Wollstonecraft, you wont have heard of most of the women in this book, because women dont often make it into the history books, particularly when it comes to politics.
Political history in Britain, as everywhere else, is usually seen as the epic tales of men squaring up to each other with their big ideas and fighting about power, who should have it, and what should be done with it. Thats the sort of history most of us learn at school, whether its in the form of battles and kings, or Vikings and the Second World War.
Of course, we have made some progress, but its pretty thin gruel. We have reached the dizzy heights where there is some recognition of Florence Nightingale; we know the suffragettes were a big deal; and a few people have even heard of Mary Seacole.
Women courageously wanting the vote or women bravely caring for others, but on the whole not much in between.
Nan writes about a very different kind of woman. Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries tells the stories of some of the first women to publicly get involved with politics as activists, campaigners, agitators, writers and thinkers.
As an outspoken political commentator, these are women after my own heart. They put their heads above the parapet, had strong views and werent afraid to be criticized and abused for their opinions. Many of them were silenced, which is why we dont know about them, but they led vivid, brave lives.
Like Susannah Wright born in Nottingham in 1792. A woman driven by a profound belief in her right to make up her own mind about everything, including religion. She ended up becoming a heroine for the cause of free discussion and was sent to prison for her beliefs. She spoke eloquently and defiantly in court prompting this reaction from the New Times, which loathed radical women (an early Daily Mail) It is manifest that these female brutes came prepared, not only to applaud what the She-Champion of Impiety had already done; but to hear her load with fresh insults the law of her country and the law of her GOD.
As somebody who writes and talks about politics for a living, I didnt know about these incredible women doing the same thing 200 years ago. Our dramatic narrative of history is still mostly shaped by the Jane Austen remake or Bridgerton for a bit of modernity all bonnets, balls and frenzied husband hunting. But guess what? Women in those times were also writing about revolution, democracy, war, civil rights and much more besides. Others were fighting for parliamentary reform, or freedom of the press, or the separation of church and state. Some of them paid a heavy price, but carried on regardless. And yet weve barely heard of any of them.
Its important to note that other people are excluded besides women, and the kind of history we generally hear about also lacks working-class people, is often London-centric and usually excludes people of colour. The further back you go, the more marked these omissions are. Which is why this book is so important. Nan shines a light on some truly amazing women who lived in genuinely revolutionary times and refused to accept the status quo.
The range of issues these women were involved with is impressive. Some were early feminists, but many were not, and very few thought it even remotely possible that women would one day have the vote, stand for election or lead countries. But they fought the battles of the day, and in the face of repressive and sometimes oppressive governments, they were strong and resolute. Few of them were wealthy or privileged, and even when they were, they chose to step outside the protections society offered in order to make their point. Their lives are interesting and important, but also inspirational.
Needless to say, in an age when women were supposed to be silent in the political, public space, the ones who spoke up were subjected to a deluge of abuse. There was no Twitter (so it wasnt all bad), but the journalists and commentators of the day received public hatred and vitriol for their views. Almost all the chapters in this book have specimens of the abuse political women received. And the further down the social scale the women were, the worse it was. Women such as Jane Austen, who famously never wrote (overtly, at any rate) about politics, were tolerated, but women like Anna Laetitia Barbauld, who wrote with spirit and insight about discrimination, democracy and the immorality of war, could expect to be attacked. Working-class women were vilified even when they were dead. Those women killed at Peterloo, for instance, were smeared in deeply misogynistic terms, accused of being drunkards and prostitutes.
These women deserve to be written about, known and celebrated. And our understanding of the history of womens politics and history more widely is poorer because they are absent from it. We seem to have the notion that women only became political when they began to campaign for the vote, but as this book shows, that is wrong. Women have always been political, because politics has always had a direct influence on womens lives.
Sometimes we can hear these womens stories in their own words, and sometimes we have to rely on the reports of others, but always we can hear the echoes of our own world. These women laid the foundations of the political freedoms we now enjoy. That we know so little about them is not only a shame, but also unjust. This book brings to life the legacy left by the radical women missing from history and restores them to their rightful place. In doing so it raises questions that are still with us from womens wages, health and poverty, to power, representation and the criminal justice system.
Nan has written a powerful, illuminating book that will educate and inspire. But most importantly, she has introduced us to these hidden feminist figures from 200 years ago. We stand on their shoulders and it is only right that we honour them.
Acknowledgements
This book was written during the COVID-19 lockdown, and would therefore not have been possible without the continued support and encouragement of my husband, Christopher, who had to share the experience with me. I am also grateful to my children, family and friends for their unstinting if sometimes bemused tolerance and occasional (constructive) criticism. Thank you!
After The Women in the Room was published, I was amazed and inspired by the interest there was in the history of political women, and I am grateful to everyone who has allowed me over the years to lecture them at length about women theyve never heard of. Their interest, positivity and enthusiasm have helped to keep me going.
I am also grateful to Olivia Dellow and Tomasz Hoskins, my editors at I.B. Tauris, who allowed me to overrun deadlines, as I struggled with research that had to be done with little or no physical access to libraries and archives, as well as to Adriana Brioso for the design, and Rachael Stott for the excellent cover illustration. I am also indebted to Sophie Campbell, Merv Honeywood and everyone who worked on editing and proofreading. This book could not be what it is without you. Thank you.
