Alongside her husband and son. The humanist association of the greater sacramento area hosted this event. It is about an hour. Todays speaker asked me if i could give her only a brief introduction. Her subject is belle la follette who lived a very full life from 18591931. In doing the research for her new book, nancy discovered the work of previous historians have drastically underestimated this great humanist. She discovered the surprising truths about the radical reformer who was denounced by some as disgraceful to the white race. What . Disgraceful . She fought for votes for women, she fought for peace, she fought for civil rights. The New York Times hailed her as the least known but the most influential american women who had to do with Public Affairs in this country. Professor nancy unger will help us know belle la follette for who she really is. Nancy . [applause] ms. Unger hello. Thank you for that lovely introduction. I have given talks to the humanist community of Silicon Valley and they are one of my favorite audiences because they stay awake and they ask great questions. I have been looking forward to this talk. I want to thank you for inviting me to the humanist association of the greater sacramento area. I want to thank bill potts for his heroic efforts to publicize this talk and to make me feel welcome. I have written this brandnew biography of belle la follette and i am dying to talk with you about it about her as a representative of the many women who contributed significantly to american politics, even long before women have the vote. Hillary clinton may well be the first female president and if she is, she will deserve the credit for it. But as clinton herself acknowledges, it took a lot of work by previous women and some men to make the case that women are capable of political leadership, even at the highest level. Belle la follette was one of those women and as we look forward to the 2016 election, we have a lot to learn from this great american. And not only about politics. Lesson one do not make the mistake of underestimating a woman just because she was first known as a political wife. The New York Times eulogized belle la follette in 1931 as perhaps the most influential of all american women who have had to do with Public Affairs in this country. She faded quickly from popular memory. When she is recalled, it is in relation to her husband and son. I contributed to this approach in my biography of her husband. In my own defense, he started it. [laughter] this minimization of his wifes accomplishments began with this progressive reform giant calling her my wisest and best counselor. He openly differed to her judgment. As district attorney, three term congressman, threeterm governor of wisconsin, and during his 19 years in the u. S. Senate. According to their soninlaw, george middleton, except john adams with his abigail, no man in public life was to have so equal a mate. Books, articles, essays, a short film, and plays all hail belle la follette as the little woman behind the great man and only a few go so far as to recognize her as an important reformer in her own right. And no account until now reveals the depth and range of her interests, ambition, activism, and the contributions she made to meaningful progressive reform. Lesson two dont believe everything you read or hear. Upon her death in 1931, newspapers across the nation hailed belle la follette for her selflessness, her willingness to remain out of the public eye. She had a masculine mind, was one backhanded accolade. It is like the old compliment you do not sweat much for a fat girl. Hers is an interesting career for those women of necessity must remain in the background. Famed journalist, Lincoln Steffens, painted her as a selfsacrificing woman who surrendered her own ambition. She could act, but she was content to beget actions. She played herself, the womans part. She sat in the gallery, or home with the children. She did not often make the speeches or do the deeds. Although this assessment came to dominate historical record, in reality, belle la follette exhibited considerable political leadership. She and her husband Work Together to promote the many progressive goals they shared, she was far from being merely his assistant. She held no elected office and could not even cast a ballot until she was 61 years old. Yet she overcame her natural shyness to wield tremendous influence as a journalist and public speaker. Activities she took on not only out of idealism, but because her family needed the money. All those who join Lincoln Steffens as identifying her as the victorious mother did her a grave disservice. She did make the speeches and do the deeds and the nation improved because she did. Lesson three dont buy into tired ideas about gender or anything else. In 1859, she grew up in the Farming Community in wisconsin. In her experience, men and women were both so indispensable to the success of farm life that few couples quibbled over whose work was more important. Such a perspective was consistent with her familys religious views. Womens judgment place them on an equal footing with men. When her mother heard Anna Howard Shaw lecture at the familys church promoting the womens right to vote, she was captivated by the words of this pioneering minister and physician. She later told her daughter she felt quite indignant that women did not have the same rights as men and belles brother agreed. Lesson number four be fearless and challenge authority. She refused to accept the deferential role assigned to girls. A friend recalled that she recently discomfited her teachers by questioning and challenging things that were taught and accepted and was fearless in insisting on things being understood and things being worthwhile before accepting them. Her years as a student at the university of wisconsin fueled her fearlessness. One professor recalled, ms. Case, with her readiness to pay the price in hard work, profited to the full by the universitys opportunities. Lesson five remain your own person. Her classmate bob la follette pursued her avidly. It was at her insistence that their engagement remain a secret. Only after she completed two years of teaching that she marry bob on new years eve in 1881 in a ceremony conducted by a unitarian minister who honored the brides request that the word obey be omitted from the marriage vows. Lesson six stop wasting your time. Eight months and 10 days after their wedding, belle gave birth to the first of their four children. Although belle la follette said, the supreme experience in life is motherhood. She also said, there is no inherent conflict in a mothers taking good care of her children, developing her own talent, and continuing to work. Even when her children were small, she refused to waste her time on the activities that most people assumed should take up the day of a middleclass wife and mother. What custom could be more barbarous than a 10 course dinner . She advocated fewer courses, less work. Lesson seven stop apologizing for not wasting your time. Belle la follette rejected the expectation that women would cling to outmoded conventions at the same time men flocked to new conveniences that made their lives easier and more efficient. As the telephone came into popular use, she found it absurd that women were criticized as both lazy and extravagant for phoning in their grocery orders while men were praised for their efficiency in transacting business over the phone. Why is it that those who are most deeply convinced that womens place is in the home are most concerned when women stay at home and telephone for supplies instead of going to the market . Women apologize for a typewritten personal letter as though it were an offense even though the deciphering of their handwriting is the most nerveracking process. To those who bemoaned the loss of womens personal touch, she responded in favor of preserving womens time, health, and energy. Many precious associations with the homemade and the handmade have necessarily been sacrificed for the greater gain. Lesson eight be comfortable and guard your health. Belle la follette defied convention by abandoning corsets for more looser fitting garments and urged other women to do the same. She noted, the man who said women ought not to vote as long as they cannot fasten their own gowns made the best antisuffrage argument i have ever heard. It is humiliating that we submit to the tyrannies of dress as we do. She reserved special scorn unrealistic bodily ideals. She strove not to obsess about her weight, but to focus on remaining fit. This is the cover of the Current Issue and that is belle la follette briskly walking with the family bulldog. I found the original image on ebay for five dollars. In 1912, she still ran three miles before breakfast every day. In 1914, at the age of 55, the Washington Post celebrating her scaling of a 12,000 foot volcano in costa rica. Lesson nine involve yourself in the larger world. Her belief in the growing desire of women of leisure to employ themselves worthily and to share in the work of the world was reinforced in 1911 by the publication of woman and labor. She viewed it as an epic poem, majestic, powerful, and thrilling. Her demands that women be allowed equal opportunity and useful occupation. Early in their marriage, she so enjoyed helping bob with his legal studies that she took up the law course as well, becoming the first woman to graduate from the university of Wisconsin Law school. See if you can pick her out. [laughter] she seems to be the only one who actually earned a diploma. A passion that was not shared by the young couple was life in the nations capital. Once bob was elected to congress in 1888, what do washington women talk about . She complained about the weather. An exceeding graciousness and desire to please pervades every function. She reminded her sisters, we are not supposed to belong to the butterfly and parasitic class. She urged all women to recognize that problems they thought of as personal work political and required womens political activism. How much we pay for food and clothing is determined by control of the Natural Resources. The distribution of tax and the regulation of the great private monopolies. These are womens problems. Belle la follette strenuously opposed her husbands plans to begin a magazine. She devoted herself to making the magazine a meaningful voice of progressivism. That magazine is published today. In an article entitled foolishness, she railed against the narrow range of superficial topics others deemed suitable for womens readers. Lets fool these men publishers and put our time on the world events. Belle la follette introduced, expanded, celebrated, and promoted progressive reform. Women readers responded with gratitude and other journalists celebrated her innovative approach. One of the cleverest and most readable womens pages in the country is edited by belle la follette. She is probably the first editor of the Womens Department to go on strike against the conventional formulas for hair dye and accepted recipes for beauty. La follette is always independent and fearless in her expression of opinion. In 1911, the north American Press syndicate engaged her to provide articles for syndication. Lesson 11 fight for what is right, even if it violates tradition. In addition to the standard slate of progressive goals, including labor protection, Natural Resource conservation, and tax reform, belle la follette advocated a wide range of less conventional innovation. She supported the right of a woman not to take her husbands name upon marriage. She promoted the Montessori School of education, opposed Corporal Punishment for children, and supported sex education. She saved special ire for capital punishment, which she termed a survival of barbarism. She also, according to youngest child, became an agnostic. They did not attend church, which was quite unusual for a u. S. Senator and his family. To protect her husbands reputation, however, in this one area, she bent the truth. Bob delighted in telling family friends, they asked which church they attended. She told them we attended the congregational church. It is technically not a lie. Belle la follette advocated cleaner Railroad Cars and depots and schedules designed to shorten layovers. She proposed postponing president ial inaugural ceremonies until april. In 1912, she wrote, must we go on forever suffering the inconveniences just because they were written into the constitution over 100 years ago . She saw womens lack of political experience as working to their favor. Lesson 12 meaningful change almost always requires persistence. In 1930, the National League of women voters honored 71 women, including la follette. When her name was inscribed on a bronze tablet housed in the national headquarters, la follette protested that she did not deserve such an honor. Her contemporary alys paul called la follette the most consistent supporter of equal rights of all of the women of her time. During a 12day tour, she gave 31 speeches in 14 different counties. Lesson 13 be able to compellingly articulate your political goals. La follette marched in the great suffrage parade in new york city in 1912. Less than a year later, she testified before the u. S. Senate committee on womens suffrage that granting women the vote was a simple matter of common sense. Ours is a government for the people, by the people. Are not women people . She gave a remarkable enforceable address and the audience hung upon her word. Congress, however, did not grant women the vote. Early in the first term of the Wilson Administration, belle la follette was a member of a contingent of suffrage advocates that met with the president. Wilson listened respectively, but they were hurried out of the white house after 10 minutes. La follette took her case back to the american people. She spoke for 63 consecutive days in july and august of 1914 in pennsylvania, ohio, indiana, and michigan. The Senate Finally approved the suffrage amendment on june 4, 1919, with la follette observing from the visitors gallery. Bob la follette confided to his children that wisconsin beat him to it. As soon as the telegram of confirmation was received, reported bob, i went on the floor and i read it into the congressional record. Lesson 15, black lives matter. Belle la follette was acknowledged within the Africanamerican Community nationwide, but especially in washington, d. C. , as a dedicated and fearless leader in the fight for racial equality. Beginning in 1913, she wrote a series of articles decrying the efforts of the Wilson Administration to racially segregate federal services. She urged action her washington female readers, were visiting her off repeated assertions that privileged wives were not supposed to belong to the butterfly and parasitic class. La follette denounced the injustice in violation of democratic principles imposed by the new orders. She skewered the hypocrisy of whites who supported segregation. It seems strange, she observed caustically, that the very ones who consider it a hardship to sit next to a colored person in a streetcar in trust their children to colored servants and eat food prepared by colored hands. In 1914, she spoke to the colored ymca on 12th street in washington. It was an electrifying event. Wild cheering by the 1000 people present interrupted her speech many times. According to the Washington Post, in a frontpage story headlined she defends negroes, wife of senator la follette denounces segregation. La follette advised negroes to keep up their fight and said there would be no constitution of peace until the question is settled and settled in the right way. An ovation of several minutes followed her remarks. An africanamerican woman noted the tremendous effect on all who heard your stirring speech. It is the topic overshadows all of the others. She concluded her message, may god continue to bless you. May he continue to lead you and may he continue to give you courage to do and to dare. La follette delivered the same speech to the annual banquet of the naacp in new york city and offered solutions. The race issue should be freely and seriously discussed in private conversations, and the public press, and from the pulpit. The situation does not call for violence, that it demands determination, loyalty, courage, persistence, and altering faith, well directed efforts. Integration was in no way a matter of social privilege. It is a matter of civil right. Lesson 16 opposition can sting, but support is validating. One anonymous writer warned belle la follette that for a white lady to address a negro audience is out of place, adding it does not raise you very much in the estimation of decent white people. A correspondent from tennessee denounced la follette for her idiotic demands. One critic called her disgraceful to the white race. It was signed, a real white person with no black stripes down the back. Her efforts generated support. A white employee of the Government Printing office addressed la follette directly, again, i thank you. The black folks needs you to protect them and the white folk needs you to confront them. One person wrote to la follette with with renewed courage that it occurs at to me that my race has eminently fair white friends that threaten segregation, that just like we did during segregation. I thank you. In 1914, la follette spoke to a predominately black audience in washington, d. C. And when she was introduced by africanamerican activist nannie helen burroughs, there was the discussion of thank god for a white person like you. Lesson 17 promote peace, always. At the same time that she was writing for the family magazine, fighting racism, and campaigning for womens suffrage, la follette took up a new cause, crusading for world peace. La follette widely recognized wars futility and the practical possibilities of binding arbitration. Her impassioned advocacy would bring a rain of enunciation of denunciation but she refused to softpedal her beliefs. La follettes argument was that quote, in the struggle for the balance of power, the idea of war is the only way to settle differences is a survivor of the dark ages. Belle la follette was one of 3000 people together in washington, d. C. In a meeting that formed the womens interNational League of peace and freedom. This is belle right there. On the left is jane atoms jane addams. Lesson 18 dont believe the rich or the powerful or the popular that you are wrong. On april 16, 1916, the chicago herald published a scathing assessment of the womens peace party where the widely popular former president the roosevelt called them silly and base, vain and hysterical, foolish and noxious, and ignoble abandonment of National Duty containing not one particle of good and which exposes our people to measureless contempt. Belle la follette fired back that roosevelt assumed quote, that war is the only means of settling international difference and more so that it is right. Temporary plans of mediation, reconciliation, and arbitration have been more effective than war in securing justice. Therefore, the more enlightened and progressive thought of the age should eradicate the madness of war and should be concentrated on the future settlement of international dispute by an international tribunal. Roosevelt said that the party was rankled. Was christ cowardly . She asked. How long must we fight to maintain those history showed that people were capable of coping with, im sorry, how they coped with disagreement. Changing how they coped with disagreement. More enlightened ways replaced dueling, for example, which had been considered an honorable way to settle individual differences. In a speech on peace day in 1915, la follette reminded her listeners about 70 of the National Income each year went towards paying for past wars or building up arms for future ones. She put this in terms of that she felt would most resonate with her audience. What would you think of a housekeeper who is afraid of burglars and who, instead of working to get a communal holys organization to protect her home with all the other homes, let her obsession destroy others and then spent 70 of all of the Household Budget on iron fences and iron doors and high walls which shut out all the lights and then spent only 30 of her income left to clothe and feed her children . When the children of the scenario died, la follette asked, would you consider such housekeeping insanity . Yet that is the exact kind of housekeeping our great nation is involved in. Womens call for peace is a calm recognition of the utter futility of this method of solving differences between nations that gives us today a deep and burning determination to contribute all of our powers towards the end of international warfare, to cease the inevitable retardation of humanity. Lesson 19 and we are coming to a close here and we wont go on forever, put your heart into the long run and what you believe. Vilification endured by her entire family by the chief activism of herself and her husband during the war years did not curb belle la follettes postwar efforts to reject military preparedness which she denounced as the awful folly of wasting the billions in dollars that should go towards education and human betterment. La follette toured 14 cities in 1921 and when criticized that it is unamerican, she took the long view to counsel others against discouragement. Every effort of this kind is slow in actual result. Listen 20 lesson 20 you can make a difference. When la follette learned that the secretary of state opened a college by proposing a 50 reduction in the three great navies of the world, it took her breath away. She was also thrilled when idaho senator William Borah credited that she had been so central in generating the motivating factor for hughess proposal. The most important to la follette is the five powered treaty which included the naval powers of britain, the united states, and japan. La follette also worked to free americans imprisoned for their countrys role in war. She was hailed as a gifted woman of extraordinary vision and understanding, superb moral courage, a deep love of humanity, and a profound sense of obligation to her fellow beings and to the cause of the common people. Lesson 21 after a victory, dont rest on your laurels for long. La follette turned next to military recruitment. She criticized the militarys confusion of deflating militarism with training. Look at the alluring pictures that confront us on the streets, she complained. We would think that the army and navy offer one long life of gaiety. That same year, she wrote admiringly of some of the changes she witnessed firsthand in the newly created soviet union and in writing 24, she in 1924, she broke precedence as a political wife by public the campaigning for her husbands final president ial bid. And i want to show you one of these handbills for a moment. It shows the trouble i had researching. I search for la follette and look for look for that in the New York Times and it wasnt spelled right and you have to be thinking in the context of the times. Lesson 22 strategic, longterm thinking usually beats kneejerk reaction. Following the death of robert will fall it robert la follette in 1925, many were asking her to fulfill her husbands unfinished term. She could easily become the first woman senator but she chose not to run. A petition signed by hundreds of women asked, dear mrs. La follette, would you, can you, turn away from your heritage of the people and the shepherd of the flock . Many people saw that her standing aside to let her son run it was a typically shrewd move. It was ambitious first of all that their shared ideas of social justice, which were also her ideals, should prevail. According to phil la follette, this would be more of a tribute to her late husband is that of a serious clinical investment. Political investment. By virtue of his facts as well as his age, robert junior would be for more likely than his mother to be repeatedly reelected and therefore lead the la follette Progressive Movement to come, thereby solidifying its legacy. Robert la follette junior would have the senate seat which he would occupy for the next 21 years. Lesson 23 regressive activism progressive activism is a lifelong commitment following her husbands death, she not only kept the magazine alive, but her son phil was elected to wisconsin governor. She also continued to advise wisconsin governor james freer to remind the folks over and over again of the cost of world war and to give concrete suggestions and ways and means in preventing another war. Although writing her husbands biography was her top priority as the nation sank deeper into the deep depression, she could not resist continuing to campaign for Progressive Solutions to problems old and new. She denounced president Herbert Hoover for doing too little to alleviate the current unemployment, publicly criticizing him for being a friend of the public power trust. She campaigned to save the Childrens Bureau and spoke about the efforts of mahatmas gandhi of gandhi. Only her death in 1931 brought an end to her activism. So the final lesson, give credit where it is due. Belle la follette deserves recognition for contributing significantly for the political achievement of her husband and her son but the determination to provide that record dish and has of skewered the contributions has obscured the contributions that she made in her own right, the causes of her own choosing, blocking a recognition of her own legacy. A closer look reveals an unexpected belle la follette. A passionate feminist dedicated to peace and making her world a better place through a variety of innovative reforms. Her life, i believe, offers a valuable lessons for today. Thank you. [applause] ms. Unger well, thank you very much. I am so delighted you all stayed awake and that you are all here. This is terrific. I invite any questions at this moment. [indiscernible] socialism and her relationship with [indiscernible] ms. Unger she did not say she was a socialist, but she was a pacifist and she was certainly far more radical than her husband who was pretty radical for u. S. Senator. So i would say that in many ways she was a socialist but she did not claim that title. She and her husband though did argue about it and they were pretty open about it so i would say that she did not go so far to claim herself as a socialist, however, so i cant go that far, if that answers your questions, it is a little iffy. [indiscernible] ms. Unger are girls today learning about belle la follette in Todays School system . I figured depends on who is teaching and i figure of a better chance if you are in wisconsin, but if you go online and you type in belle la and follette into the videos, there is a little fourminute video of her that is terrific. And my son is a vice principal at East Palo Alto who lectured to kids who know about her. Anyone who knows me knows about her. But i dont think that answered your question. Clinical history is not in political history is not in fashion right now. It is much more social history. Since she did social issues, she did bridge that divine, what i would say even in wisconsin, i would say many people dont even know who belle la follette is. I think she is a hidden gem and i am trying to get more attention for her. I am wondering, how you were introduced to her . And was that an excerpt from the book . Ms. Unger so how did i first come to find belle la follette and was this an excerpt from my book . I took some quotes from my book but i build this just for you, but i wrote a biography of robert la follette first when i was in graduate school. I had never heard of him and i read this little paragraph about this man who did all of these things politically that i really approved up. He is very liberal and he believed in the protection of workers and he really changed peoples lives on a daily bases for the good, and i was interested on why someone who had been such a successful senator and who had really wanted to be president was not really able to parlay that into presidency. Once you get interested in him, the la follettes write to each other every day and they saved every scrap of paper, so you know, you have so much information, so you really cant do him without her, and he loves her so much and all of these things that she is saying is giggle is getting a lot of criticism and he doesnt care. He never says to her once, could you tone it down . He was really struggling and said that la follette junior said, mom, you have to come coming you have to go with them, you have to take this train, and asked he cannot take the strain. He was very dependent on her. Once you get into him, then you get into her, and then you get into children as well. So it is a package deal. You cant just do one la follette. [indiscernible] robert la follette, junior, was one of the socalled isolationist senators and correct me if i am wrong . Ms. Unger junior, what was robert la follette like as a senator . I would first say he would not want to be a senator. This was not his passion. This was his obligation to his family. His younger brother wanted to be senator but he was too young. He had not reached the age requirement. But he was a dutiful senator. Yes, he opposed the entry into world war i. He is a solid senator, he does good work, but he hates campaigning. At one point he is campaigning and somebody brays out from the audience, youre not as good as your pa and you never will be and he responded, no one knows that better than i, son, no one knows that better than i. Then he had to go against joe mccarthy, which is ken which you can imagine was pretty devastating. He is very upset and he is struggling for a few years and in the end, he commits suicide. Yes, so it is a very sad story. I used to live in washington, d. C. And [indiscernible] the house which president obama just this week has kind of dedicated the belmont paul house there and i just wondered, i havent been to wisconsin for a couple of years, but i am curious, do you have any comments to add about the relationship between allison paul and her efforts and belle la follette . Ms. Unger i am delighted to comment on any tidbits between allison paul and belle la follette because they are fascinating. Alys paul, as you know, got her suffrage training in britain. She shouted out a politicians to get arrested and they were forcefeeding her and she really believed that this was the way to go. You had to get attention, you had to get headlines. Belle la follette was so polite. She doesnt approve of this method. But then she says every day she is going to congress to, you know, sit in the gallery, sit in the gallery to listen, and she walked by one of the silent sentinels, and you know how i showed you one of the women in their sashes showing their university degrees, and that she thought that maybe allison paul was onto something and she admires them and her writing goes from kind of a scolding tone to this is going to put people off and do it to more of, perhaps we do need to be more aggressive, so she does come to admire paul. Then after women get the vote, they have a bit of a break because alys paul once only the equal rights amendment and nothing else and belle la follette says, well, we still need to campaign for our rights for our working sisters and we need to improve conditions and other things as well. Alys paul says no and it is equal rights and that is it and then they go off and they separate and then they come back together again. I am wondering if there was a meaningful relationship between stanton . The Cady Elizabeth cady stanton . Ms. Unger so what kind of a relationship, if any, that develops between her and stanton . I cannot really trace any real relationship there and i cannot say anything about the feminist bible that i ever saw. I know that belle la follette got very impatient with women like elizabeth caddy stanton who were willing to throw race under the bus to get to womens writes. Womens rights. She had very little patience for that. But i dont recall she talked in general terms about other great women leaders. Nothing about stanton in particular. Anything about Susan B Anthony . Ms. Unger no, no. She talks about a couple of them speaking in wisconsin on talks about a couple of them speaking it wisconsin on tours and such, but she didnt really spend a lot of time focusing on the past. She wanted to focus on getting things done today. I am just discovering and enjoying learning about mother jones and belle la follette. Did belle la follette know or appreciate. The style is so completely different. I hope she appreciated what mother jones did. Ms. Unger i have never read any i have never found anything in belle la follettes writings about mother jones, which doesnt mean that they are there, it just means i havent found them, i havent seen them. But when she gives her speeches, she rarely harkens back to the past, you know . [indiscernible] ms. Unger yes, she was very supportive of labor and towards the end of her capers, there papers, there were some wonderful tributes to big unions and so forth, writing not to her husband, to her, thinking her on her support of organized labor and the stance that she took for them, yeah. On behalf of everybody, thank you for this brilliant presentation today. Ms. Unger well, thank you all, very much. [applause] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] ms. Unger thank you. Oh yes, lets talk about the book. [indiscernible] ms. Unger well, just to give you a little incentive, they are cheaper here than they are on amazon. [laughter] ms. Unger so if you are ever going to buy them, this is the time to do so. [indiscernible] ms. Unger and this is cheaper than the amazon discount. I am giving you my authors price. [indiscernible] ms. Unger my husband says the unsigned ones are rarer and more valuable. Can you hand me that . This is beyond natures housekeepers, this is women in environmental history with the Oxford University press. I got very impatient with some feminist issues and i got tired of hearing about how women were more environmentally attuned than men, which i think is not true genetically, so talking about why do men and women respond differently to the environment over time . From the beginning of the precolonial. Precolonial period right up to the present, i talk about what it means to be man and woman and how men are naturally this way and women are not live this way. And women are naturally that way. How did that get constructed . Where did that idea come from . I have one quick example. I have some boy scout manuals and girl scout manuals and the boys manuals talk about camaraderies on the battlefield and girls represent hearth and home. It is a fire for crying out loud [laughter] ms. Unger but the best thing about this book that i wanted to tell you is that my motherinlaw when she was 16yearold 16 years old at camp, this is her. I just absolutely adore this and i think it is fabulous and i was talking to the editor about what i wanted on the cover and we were talking about what i wanted on the cover and we were talking on the phone and he says, look, you may suggest, but the cover is the most important marketing cool that we have, so you can Marketing Tool behalf. You can suggest and we will decide. So i said, well, i want the cowgirl. And he said, i think that is pretty good. [laughter] ok and [indiscernible] you watching American History tv. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] follow us on twitter. To keep up with the latest industry news. Each week until the 2016 election, we bring you archival coverage of president ial races. Next, new york congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro accepts the Vice President ial nomination at the 1984 Democratic Convention in san francisco. Walter mondale selected her as his running mate. She became the first woman nominated by a major party for the presidency or vice presidency. The mondale ticket lost the general election to republan incumbents Ronald Reagan and george h. W. Bush, with reagon winning 49 states and receiving 49 of the vote. This is a little over a half hour