John Blundell is the author of Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of the Iron Lady (NYC: Algora, 2008) and Waging the War of Ideas (London: IEA, 3rd revised and expanded edition 2007). He wrote the current work while a Visiting Fellow of The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC. He also serves as Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs, London, UK where he was Director General from 1993 through 2009.

He is a past President of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University, Virginia and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Washington DC, and serves on both boards of directors. He is a past President of the Charles G Koch Foundation, Vice President of the Mont Pelerin Society and a former board member of the Philadelphia Society.

In 2010 he received an honorary doctorate in science from the University of Buckingham, UK and an honorary doctorate in social science from the Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City, Guatemala, which also made him an Honorary Professor. He welcomes word of more ladies for liberty, dead or alive, American or non-American.

With this collection of biographies, the author seeks to inform and inspire readers. We read so much about the Founding Fathers, but far less material has been made available to introduce the ladies, smart and strong in their own right, who have...

With this collection of biographies, the author seeks to inform and inspire readers. We read so much about the Founding Fathers, but far less material has been made available to introduce the ladies, smart and strong in their own right, who have helped to form the political as well as the social universe that we are proud to call America. His selection focuses on women of Conservative/ Libertarian views, whether they were active in politics, business owners, writers or other cultural figures. Black as well as white, these women were revolutionary, some directly influencing the colonial breakaway from great Britain, some fighting for Abolition, others breaking new ground professionally. Each one not only made women's voices heard but made it clear that women have something to say that is both valid and valuable.�  This book is intended for American and British readers alike, high school and above, and all who are interested in American history, Conservative/ Libertarian politics, or Women's Studies.

It should come as no surprise that throughout the United States' history, women have played an intrinsic (albeit, underappreciated) role in the movement for liberty. Women are caregivers; it is to be expected that they would be sensitive both to...

It should come as no surprise that throughout the United States' history, women have played an intrinsic (albeit, underappreciated) role in the movement for liberty. Women are caregivers; it is to be expected that they would be sensitive both to the needs of others as well as the effects of government policies on the most vulnerable. Yet all too frequently, the expansion of government services has been justified because such programs are for the 'benefit of women.'� As such, Ladies for Liberty serves an important role in combating the myth that women want, and benefit from, big government. Although their actions may have varied, the underlying motivation of these many women was the same ' that self-determination is a virtue, and that individuals should be allowed to pursue their own ends, free from the coercion of others. How different the nation would be today if these women did not stand up for what they believed in! The grassroots activism of 2009 and 2010 demonstrate that individual liberty and personal responsibility are still values that resonate with American women. From Sarah Palin's 'mama grizzlies'� to Tea Party organizers like Jenny Beth Martin, it has become abundantly clear that millions of American women have come to recognize that there are serious costs to a too big, intrusive, wasteful government. They understand that government is strangling private business with costly mandates, high taxes, and uncertainty about what rules businesses can expect to operate under in the future. But how many of these women know that today's political culture is only possible thanks to the groundwork lain by the Ladies for Liberty many years ago? Modern-day tea party activists are following in the footsteps of activists like the Grimke sisters, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, who bravely organized social movements in the face of tremendous odds. Political pundits are translating ideas to the people like Mercy Otis Warren, Rose Wilder Lane, and Clare Boothe Luce, who gave voice to the truth. And academics are standing upon the shoulders of intellectual giants like Rose Director Friedman, Isabel Paterson, and Jane Jacobs, who challenged conventional wisdom through their scholarship. Women today do not face the same challenges that these brave ladies did, but they still must combat cultural pressures that highlight women's weaknesses and encourage dependency. Affording women special treatment in order to 'compete'� - although well intentioned - is itself an insult, as it implies that women are not capable of doing so on their merits alone. At the end of the day, the true essence of feminism is to not be dependent on anyone else ' not a husband, not a father, and not the government ' because women are just as adept, clever, and skilled as their male counterparts. Today, women have opportunities that previous generations could never have dreamed of; they are graduating from colleges in record numbers, opening businesses, and achieving positions of power from the Cabinet to the boardroom. Through technological advances, women are able to more easily balance work and home life ' opening up additional possibilities for employment, activism, and education. Consider the options that Abigail Adams or Harriet Tubman faced, versus how a woman can live her life today. Our foremothers would be pleased to see how easily a modern woman can empower herself! Accordingly, it becomes all the more imperative that we use the tools available to us to continue pressing for reforms that will truly benefit future generations ' promoting personal responsibility, individual liberty, and free markets. Only a robust, dynamic economy will be able to provide women with the continued opportunities to choose their own path ' be it as an entrepreneur, a writer, an activist, or something else. Women themselves should be allowed to make those decisions, however ' not government bureaucrats. John Blundell's Ladies for Liberty serves as an important reminder of the struggles of our predecessors. The best way to honor their sacrifices is to carry on their work, and to teach our daughters that they, too, can make a difference in the lives of others. Nicole Neily Nicole Neily is the executive director of the Independent Women's Forum, a Washington DC-based think tank that focuses on educating the public about the benefits of economic liberty and limited government.

Introduction Chapter 1. Mercy Otis Warren � � �  Writer and Revolutionary � � �  September 14, 1728'October 19, 1814 Chapter 2. Martha Washington � � �  Re

Introduction Chapter 1. Mercy Otis Warren � � �  Writer and Revolutionary � � �  September 14, 1728'October 19, 1814 Chapter 2. Martha Washington � � �  Revolutionary � � �  June 2, 1731'May 22, 1802 Chapter 3. Abigail Adams � � �  Revolutionary, Abolitionist, Women's Rights Campaigner and Entrepreneur � � �  November 11, 1744'October 28, 1818 Chapter 4. The Grimke Sisters � � �  Anti-slavery and Women's Rights Campaigners � � �  Sarah Moore Grimke, November 26, 1792'December 23, 1873 � � �  Angelina Emily Grimke, February 20, 1805'October 26, 1879 Chapter 5. Sojourner Truth � � �  Slave, Abolitionist and Women's Rights Activist � � �  Circa 1797'November 26, 1883 Chapter 6. Elizabeth Cady Stanton � � �  Advocate for Women's Liberties � � �  November 12, 1815'October 26, 1902 Chapter 7. Harriet Tubman � � �  Slave, Underground Railroad Conductor, Abolitionist and Spy � � �  Winter 1822'March 10, 1913 Chapter 8. Harriet Beecher Stowe � � �  Novelist and Abolitionist � � �  June 14, 1811'July 1, 1896 Chapter 9. Bina West Miller � � �  Businesswoman � � �  1867'April 18, 1954 Chapter 10. Madam C J Walker � � �  Entrepreneur � � �  December 23, 1867'May 25, 1919 Chapter 11. Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane � � �  Laura Ingalls Wilder � � �  Author � � �  February 7, 1867'February 10, 1957 � � �  Rose Wilder Lane � � �  Journalist, Author, Philosopher � � �  December 5, 1886'October 30, 1968 Chapter 12. Isabel Mary Paterson � � �  Writer, Mentor, and Political Theorist � � �  January 22, 1886'January 10, 1961 Chapter 13. Lila Acheson Wallace � � �  Magazine Publisher and Philanthropist � � �  December 25, 1889'May 7, 1984 Chapter 14. Vivien Kellems � � �  Entrepreneur and Tax Protestor � � �  June 7, 1896'January 25, 1975 Chapter 15. Taylor Caldwell � � �  Novelist � � �  September 7, 1900'August 30, 1985 Chapter 16. Clare Boothe Luce � � �  Writer, Editor, Politician, Diplomat � � �  April 10, 1903'October 9, 1987 Chapter 17. Ayn Rand � � �  Writer and Philosopher � � �  February 2, 1905'March 6, 1982 Chapter 18. Rose Director Friedman � � �  Economist, Author, Political Activist � � �  December 1911'April 18, 2009 Chapter 19. Jane Jacobs � � �  Writer and Urban Activist � � �  May 4, 1916'April 25, 2006 Chapter 20. Dorian Fisher � � �  Strategic Philanthropist � � �  September 14, 1919'April 3, 2007 Afterword Ten Matters For Discussion Further Reading Acknowledgements � � 

Read John Blundell in USA Today,�  As Margaret Thatcher's legacy shows, historic firsts don't have a quick second...

Read John Blundell in USA Today,�  As Margaret Thatcher's legacy shows, historic firsts don't have a quick second...

How did a British economist come to write a book about American women's history? Read John's interview or watch his podcast at KosmosOnline.org, a project of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. John has been invited to speak on Ladies for Liberty and his biography Margaret Thatcher, A Portrait of the Iron Lady, to audiences all across the US and from Guatemala to Toronto, and publishers are negotiating for foreign rights from Poland to China.

How did a British economist come to write a book about American women's history? Read John's interview or watch his podcast at KosmosOnline.org, a project of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. John has been invited to speak on Ladies for Liberty and his biography Margaret Thatcher, A Portrait of the Iron Lady, to audiences all across the US and from Guatemala to Toronto, and publishers are negotiating for foreign rights from Poland to China.