Cokie Roberts’s number one New York Times bestseller, We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters, examined the nature of women’s roles throughout history and led USA Today to praise her as a “custodian of time-honored values.” Her second bestseller, From This Day Forward, written with her husband, Steve Roberts, described American marriages throughout history, including the romance of John and Abigail Adams. … the romance of John and Abigail Adams. Now Roberts returns with Founding Mothers, an intimate and illuminating look at the fervently patriotic and passionate women whose tireless pursuits on behalf of their families — and their country — proved just as crucial to the forging of a new nation as the rebellion that established it.
While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the Constitution, the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters they left behind have been little noticed by history. Roberts brings us the women who fought the Revolution as valiantly as the men, often defending their very doorsteps. While the men went off to war or to Congress, the women managed their businesses, raised their children, provided them with political advice, and made it possible for the men to do what they did. The behind-the-scenes influence of these women — and their sometimes very public activities — was intelligent and pervasive.
Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favored recipes, Roberts reveals the often surprising stories of these fascinating women, bringing to life the everyday trials and extraordinary triumphs of individuals like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Read Franklin, Eliza Pinckney, Catherine Littlefield Green, Esther DeBerdt Reed, and Martha Washington — proving that without our exemplary women, the new country might never have survived.
Social history at its best, Founding Mothers unveils the drive, determination, creative insight, and passion of the other patriots, the women who raised our nation. Roberts proves beyond a doubt that like every generation of American women that has followed, the founding mothers used the unique gifts of their gender — courage, pluck, sadness, joy, energy, grace, sensitivity, and humor — to do what women do best, put one foot in front of the other in remarkable circumstances and carry on.
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Of course the book was full of wonderful characters, it included the families of the men who bent over backward to compromise in order to begin what they hoped would become a “more perfect union”. I felt like Roberts was typing with one hand.
Boring rehash of historical women
This was dry but very informative of history from another angle
Great read! Lots to learn about the first ladies instead of the president’s.
Enjoyed getting to know the Founding Women of our country. Well researched!
I will read this title again…!
First book by this author. I will be reading more.
Enjoyed Roberts tongue-in-cheek asides. Added humor to some heavy history.
I was surprised to find this was not well written. It skipped around and was hard to follow and keep my attention. I was disappointed and didn’t even finish it.
I recomend this to all women. Finally able to learn more about the woman behind the founding fathers. They where incredible and definitely important in the beginning of our country.
These women lived a very active life including fireing cannons in battle, having hardships, being the one to run the farm or business while they husband was overseas for months or years.
I learned quite a bit of of the founding mothers’ lives and their ideas. Well written.
Lots of new, interesting information. Sometimes difficult to follow because many women with the sme name
The author used correspndance to flesh out the personalities, humor,beliefs,and concerns of the women of the revolution. I really enjoyed the book
Cookie Roberts knows her material, and she knows how to tell her information in a clear, readable, enjoyable way.
I was disappointed in the book. While it was informative, it needed serious editing.
Cokie Roberts research brought these women to life. Their contribution to the Revolution and the founding of our nations is largely invisible. Women’s rights issues are not new issues does not normal appear in history books. Thanks Ms. Roberts for shedding light on these amazing women.
Great view of the women who helped found the United States.
It sheds new light on today’s government – not that different from “the good old days”.
Great stories of our founding Mothers
Very informative