Booktv on cspan2 continues. Myra macpherson recounts the lives of tennessee kennicott field whose professional and political pursuit good late 19th century. This is about 40 minutes. Phil pavlov, one of my dear friends over here. He is a joke and say czerny said cements, any sex ms . A lot sollecito. Sided sex and scandal. [laughter] i really hate used to be incredibly nervous. I still am. I got a lesson when i speak into the group, rather large group of this woman in the front and not faint. She just looked like this. I told myself, all of your member wonderful jack warden used to say you get 95 of the volume on always wonder who was the other 5 . As explaining to this woman because everyone is being kind of nice. So finite that so angry at the nsf, you know, maybe this woman in the front like to say something. Two of the next or associates from germany. She has numbers that a word you said. [laughter] [inaudible] this actually does tie in, believe it or not but the scarlet sisters because they became the most incredible female lecturers of their time, speaking to 6000 more on all the subjects that we look at two. At the beginning, they both almost fainted when they started this and i kept thinking, well, this is an interesting story to see that after developing this amazing scale, and being able to speak without anything behind backlights in just one little person on a huge stage. When the youngest was 64, she had 7000 toys another false. People ask me coming in now, how i got interested in them. In 2008 when everyone was saying there is a possible historic white woman and an africanamerican male, i. E. Clinton and obama. Itd been done before, 133 years before in 1872 when victoria woodhall ran on this remote Third Party Ticket with frederick douglass, the former slave. Well, ive got to find out more about that. And i found about her young earth who just i mean, it she was just totally she was like an untamed colts. When she ran for president , hearing for congress and the argument was nothing in the constitution said anything against a woman running for office. This is 50 years before the boat. They fought for equality in the boardroom scum of the bedrooms and even on the battlefield. Titicaca became the first woman and probably the only woman to be the kernel of a regiment of the africanamerican new york regiments. So, before i get into how the similarities are today, i do want to say what they were because this is an era when women have no power. They couldnt leave the marriage if they wanted to, if they got a divorce they couldnt get the children. They are stratified in the way of the upper class, middle class and lower castes. They came from the trashiest background possible. Her father was a con artist to put them into fake fortunetelling and a very young age, at the age of 11. 13 hours at a stretch they both climbed out of this horrible background and abusive family situation and decided they wanted to have power and they wanted to have freedom and they just pursued it with a kind of pursuit that very few people would have been certainly women. They were beautiful and great health promoters. The first thing they had to do was get known before they could run for congress. So the very first of their many firsts as they became the first women to own a Brokerage Firm on wall street. They were bankrolled. That didnt happen again for another 100 years. They were bankrolled by cornelius vanderbilt, the richest man in america who is known to be the lover. At least all the books say that. I dont want accuse anybody of that because its a good idea. They got to him because he believed in spiritualism and their clairvoyance then they decided i think there is a genuine force them what they could do, but also a lot of fake involved in a kept convincing him that they be sure to get the mother talking to him. I dont know if that ever happening. But they manage to get the firm and i was so amazing that more than 2000 start brokers they came in and they had it all planned out. They had two gold pens, pure gold pins behind each year. They cut their hair short. They were audacious to everything he did. So after that, they kept on going and victoria became the first woman ever to address congress. And she was trying to prove that because the constitution said citizen and because it said people in because nowhere, except in the 14th amendment did it ever saved mail. I was sort of a throwaway in the second and of the 14th amendment, the article, which was to make sure that no africanamerican limit could vote and that was really a good reason for it. Up until then there hadnt been anything. They argued and she went to speak before congress. Davis, really embarrassing telecheck concept of why one should not get the vote. Of course, all the male congressman shot it down. But she was talking to one of them, she said i am a citizen. He says madam, you are not a citizen. She says what am i . You are a woman. [laughter] said the next 50 years, whatever kind of citizens women were, they could get the vote. And then they started newspaper. And became shocking audiences of up to 6000 with their views on divorce, prostitution, religion, race, finance and political corruption, sex in a knot of marriage undecided women who married for money for practicing legalized prostitution. [laughter] i mean, its absolute chutzpah to do everything. In fact come and they knew how to reshape the story. The New York Times wrote of blistering piece that says it seems unbelievable to them enough this court could be in one family. So they just excised that pardons at the New York Times praises this as it seems unbelievable. [laughter] i mean, we could all take lessons. And nature when the first and only women to be joined carla marxs International Workingman association. It was so popular is called the yankee international. The sisters said okay, it is their version of the rainbow coalition. Do that when an, black sand, anybody else, all the poor people. Karl marx who thought they were great at first to expel them and they said hes nothing but a fallen death but. [laughter] the important thing is that historians say no matter what happens that they actually promoted racial equality but most since abolition. One was frederick douglass, the other being the kernel of the army and everything. As they say, above all they railed against the hypocrisy regarding sex. As they were free lovers, which could mean anything from just wanting to reform these horrible divorce laws to having the choice of, believe it or not, somebody wanted to marry and whether or not your children and that was considered absolutely impossible in those days. Finally, they blew the whistle on that features adulterous affair and they just blasted it. I know, it is so sad. They just laughed at him accused a man of having raped in their weekly incomes that was a horrible man. Anthony collins the was a man everywhere. Medical books, science and medical boo everywhere. Medical books, science and medical books. You know, we are talking a really sick guy. But he did great damage because he became famous over the sisters fight until the middle 19 finance. It was very, very repressive about the first amendment, the poetry coming in now, George Bernard shaw, everything. He was also against contraception. So you see. Vicious man and he not only through them and present, for a whole month they were imprisoned without any sense of possibly having a trial or anything. And then, there is those who made fun of them. Theres a wonderful cartoon standing with this woman in front, speaking to a judge. He said, your honor, this woman just gave birth to a naked tv. [laughter] and defeat means that the women said in their own and their own voice. As they had i had 47carat or senate divided they seem to ask. Act one, two, three because their life is like a trauma and they knew everybody from president s to future kings. They were henry ward beecher, harriet laid each are coming beecher stowe. I was get them all mixed up. She called the entrance and did a play about a was all over the place. And henry james wrote a book called the speech of london and i also had one for the bostonians. Very these outrages by men in a time when out rage was there for the men. I do a lot about the life and times and how the fifth avenue hotel had a vertical railway going through every floor, which was an elevator, the first elevator ever. All of these guys would come to, you know, face each other on the hill. And in wall street. There was one guy, daniel drew it was one of the oldest and the meanest. The story is that once when he was a cattle drover and leading titles to be sold. He told all of these people to get them solve. They got to give them lots of water, drink all the water. And i was phrase watered stock. Paste it back or goes to prison. The sisters i think the only way to get a sense if i give you a little bit of what they said he was with her piercing blue eyes, victoria served life at the Willard Hotel washington, watching the after hours going to congressman and lobbyist. You know the phrase lobbyist came from. Does everybody know that . It said that grant made it out. The lobby of the hotel and all these people were coming up ecg men. He said all these lobbyists and thats how it got started. Anyway, she watched an unfair to men she later shocked audiences with her observation. Where is prostitution and its greatest luxury . Washington, Everybody Knows that the third zero and congress in washington consists of the lobbyists who are there to obtain legislation, to push this scheme or that appropriation. Bobbys distributed 10, 15, even 20,000 to audiences victoria asked why he was the influence with representatives and senators. I say boldly it is the best men of the country who support the houses of prostitution. They could argue about the best men. [laughter] and then come and they were totally on this concept of the lies and double standard. As i say, underneath of it taurean cloak of morality, sex was everywhere except in the marriage bed. Marriage is a license to cohabit coming at the enforcement of the method eventually defeats the original object. It is common experience that those who have lived together strictly according to the covenant from five to 10 years but they are estranged. She would say this all over the country. People which shouted boo and everything. They both decried the repugnant marriages. A century and a half before the term date for quine, victoria about domestic abuse. Night after night, there are thousands of rapes and millions coming as i said coldly, knowing where i speak, millions of poor, heartbroken, suffering wives as compelled to the luxury of insatiable. And this is a line interesting. Knowing the ways the law for her, except marriage and best men with the right to be bashed women in there will. And she said, now i say the poor prostitution whose father south tucson then for a few hours to obtain a few dollars with which to procure them for the young meeting yielded themselves for him to have the young part grows. An angel compared to this woman. For 100,000. The Public Opinion will be kicked from the doorstep any unmarried girls engage in sex would be turned from her fathers home. And they the thing that is quite amazing is when you start looking at what they said back then and what is still going on today. As i mentioned, equal pay for equal work. For example, this one, excuse me, society should leave the love affairs of the community to regulate themselves instead of trusting to legislation to regulate them. I said this is not a modernday act to restrain the u. S. Supreme court 2013 overturning the defense of marriage act is unconstitutional. But in 1871 and this is a one man on trial for anything is considered as a legitimate part of the defense to make the most searching inquiry into her orality in the decision generally turns upon the proof in that regard. This is not a contemporary woman speaking of disparaging treatment of women who were trying to speak out against somebody and it actually is one of the reasons that kind of fear that 64 of rapes go unreported. This goes on and on and on. We have seen what has happened on the hill with legitimate rape and Everything Else and it is just amazing the things they file for 144 years ago now having to refight the battle for him so many areas i must say. And i would just let you out for some question if you have any. [applause] i forgot to tell you, there is a great our dear mac only to read the book. Rags to riches and back to rags and everybody their friends among them was absolutely amazing. She really thought that freelove package because they wanted to know but the brotherinlaw at one point in which there seemed to be very little romance. She was there at their side for the longest time. After they went to prison, the press did everything it could to ruin them. I was lucky to find some personal letters between the sisters later in life because they put on a great friend. They were always not oblivious, but they would fight back. I mean, they financed manned. They threatened against people, they lied incessantly, theyve reinvented who they were. And when they got in a pinch, they just told another story and kept on going. But in their letters, theres a very personal defense they had been persecuted for what they stood for. [inaudible] yes, they were the most symbiotic duo ive ever seen. When victoria laughed, she was seven or eight. She laughed and got married, a very bad marriage and always felt lost in that situation. Ive come to the occlusion that they may well have been in that. But their father. And then, she fell that she tells this story thats dramatic trial of family and their crazy mother, threatened inside victorias been hard for them, keeping them fror them, keeping them from her and threatened to kill her. She was just bonkers. They been black mayor by their own family and the crazy trashy family and people who supported them, so they were kind of almost ruined over and over. She said she was getting her out of that horrible life and they were together for a very long time. In the speech they would send a letter back to the people. Victorious into an arranged marriage when she married so young . One of the things i say in the beginning of this book is everything is speculation on entering a lot of rumors. It was her family terribly. You dont know how much was real or not. Then voted on the subject of movement. Anyway, his wife was the one who had the affair. He was a wonderful free lover. You know, hey, only alleged because of the hung jury. Ive read the transcript of the law but not the time and a lot of the book in this nails it not just with her, victoria used to say, 16 of his mistresses every sunday. [inaudible] [laughter] why do you think it is the sort of been forgotten by history . Thats an amazing one. All the newspapers in the time were just i mean, it was truly paparazzi time. There would be photos and they would have the headlines they would say victoria they didnt see any of their last names. They were totally celebrities, including over in europe. It was written to leah and 82 and they mentioned victorias historic moment when she was in college. But thats all. It was so far ahead of everybody else is so highly charged, for a long time there were these books written, the first book written with 1927. They concentrate on the door and peered as i said, the use things verbatim and he tried to get what was rail or not real. That was copied by a lot of people in the 20th century and the rebirth of the movement in the 70s and now they are on the website. As i said, their time is now. They said we have to speak to another generation. You read their letters youth find those resources geared you dont want to take from the book. I found these letters in illinois at the boston public library. I had an absolutely wonderful researcher by the incredible name in the day that i got my cell phone, which was in 1872, articles such a new world. When i started i was having to go for the weekly they had an a lot of stuff is not digitized. As i was working, all that changed in internet made it possible to find the original newspaper myself. And then i went to portugal and england to find out about tell you would have been. [laughter] anyway, after theyd been essentially trumped by everybody, they married two richest men in new york. And one of them was sir francis cote, for the rest of your life she used her money and publicity to go all over the world for womens suffrage. It became weirder remarks centered. Having a nervous break down or close to it. To tell you this difference. Victoria looked like the queen. She was the queen all the time. She said i loved this. I love the media. They keep everything from from spoiling. [laughter] several things changed. But when they had to work the owner came out and said you know the rules. You cant deny it. She said okay, went out, got their carriage dragged them in. But she had can you draw any lines for mac verse to affect change in their lifetime that they could say we did this . I dont think you could say in their lifetime what they really did was so terrible. There were some women writers who side with the Suffrage Movement and they were there for only two to three years. There have been huge fights, hue shift came and got into a fight over whether it should be our were the womens hour. And 69 when the sister came on the scene, so at the time come when they protest what they said to congress, why didnt i think about the large number of the ln who actually can vote just as test cases. They were instrumental in that. But what really happened in 1912, they were considered heroes. They were older, but there is still considered heroes of the moment. In england they were throwing things through glass windows and risking and being forcefed in prison. From then on, its not just gradual. My friend Pat Schroeder in congress that i love those women. I quote her in the upload. Not in their lifetime. [inaudible] 1977 to 1923. But hey, everyone in this room [inaudible] still going on. Mitch mcconnell referred to the drive in wendy davis, supposedly. The funny part is they were trashed for being trailer park trash and they were trashed for not being trailer park trash enough. [laughter] its really something. It makes me feels so sad to women ultimately were rejected by women that historically i revere as having made a difference for womens rights in this country. Was that possibly a class structure . Totally. Not totally. Because all those women were middle class. They were not upper class. The movement was the minority. Exotic and shapley and things that continue religious groups groups but the womens pride. Clerking from that i would say educated background more so. And here come these two. For a while they were kind of its body. They were gorgeous and they were not ache and then when they said too many things, and absolutely couldnt stand it. Im of course a lot of them [inaudible] they start explaining victoria for tat and she sends them a proof sheet saying if you dont lay off me this is a period not absolutely infuriated susan b. Anthony. And then she became very strong in her movement to the presidency. She came in that one of those meaning. They came to the service so fast that in a slow month to newspaper columnists would hold women instead of the other. So she was determined to take over. And she just races up and is speech and tells everybody to come over to her place to be with her. So susan b. Anthony to all the screaming and yelling, so they had all of the people in there. They were screaming back and forth. Susan b. Anthony sits back [inaudible] and for now, they did not speak to each other. Watch booktv over the coming wes for additional coverage from the virginia festival of the book. On march 29th, the sixth annual new york rainbow book fair in new york city. Its the largest lgbt event held in the united states. And on april 5th, booktv is live from the indianapolis book festival with a variety of author panels. And on the same day, well also be covering events from the san antonio festival. Visit booktv. Org for more information. Its out to the west coast for the Los Angeles Times festival of books at the university of Southern California april 12th and 13th. And june 6th through the 8th, the first annual sacramento book fair is in californias capital city. Let us know about book its values in your area and well festivals in your area, and well add them to our list. Email us at booktv cspan. Org. Youre watching booktv on cspan2. Heres our prime time lineup for tonight. Beginning at i 6 that p. M. Eastern 6 45 p. M. Eastern, peter star. Then at 8, military history. At 9, after words is paul taylor. He discusses the next measuring. Then at 10, slaverys exiles. And we wrap up tonights prime time programming at 11 eastern with diane jacobs whose book, dear abigail, tells the story of Abigail Adams ander sisters. That all happens tonight on cspan2s booktv. Next on booktv, Daniel Stashower recalls the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The plot was discovered by detective Allen Pinkerton as lincoln stopped in the city enroute to washington, d. C. This is about 40 minutes. Thank you. [applause] thank you for coming out. Its a real pleasure to be here in illinois especially, because this is literally where the wheels of this story started turning. Both figuratively and literally. The book is the story, to a large extent, of Allen Pinkerton, the famous detective of the 19th century, who got his start just about a half hour to the north of here in dundee, illinois. And it also features a lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln who i also understand came to prominence here in illinois. Ill give you the plot in a nutshell. The year is 1861. Lincoln has been elected president. And it turns out that there was a period in our nations history whre