The torch bearer : a look forward and back at the Woman's journal, the organ of the woman's movement

This engaging study offers a vivid portrait of a pioneering weekly that became the voice of the American women’s rights movement. Founded in 1870 by Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell, the paper was designed from the start to champion education, labor, legal equality and, above all, the vote. The author walks readers through the bustling Boston offices where editors, artists, and activists collaborated to produce what many called the “Suffrage Bible.”

Beyond the headlines, the book reveals the behind‑the‑scenes work that kept the journal alive—financial trials, relentless fundraising, and the personal generosity of the Stone‑Blackwell family. Detailed charts and anecdotes illustrate how the paper grew its circulation, navigated deficits, and relied on a network of devoted volunteers and supporters.

For anyone interested in the mechanics of early social‑change journalism, the narrative provides a clear, human‑scale view of how ideas were turned into a lasting publication, offering lessons that still resonate with modern advocates.