Very Salt Of Life

This book introduces a diverse range of texts covering a century of Welsh women's political writings, from the 1830s to the 1930s. The 'political', the 'very salt of life' for these writers, is used in a broad sense, to encompass women's engagement with all aspects of the public life of the nation. Contributors include female Chartists, patriotic defenders of Wales and its language, feminists working for women's equality within religious and educational institutions, temperance campaigners, Liberal Party supporters, early socialists, and 'votes for women' activists. It incorporates material in Welsh (with translations) as well as English, and from a wide range of sources, including political party archives, unpublished manuscripts, and contributions by women to Welsh-American as well as British periodicals. Divided into four sections which span the century chronologically, there is an opening introductory overview to the text as a whole, as well as before each section, thus enabling a full appreciation of the historical and political context of the pieces, even by readers new to Welsh studies, women's studies, or both. Those better acquainted with the subject will find collected here in one convenient volume an array of material not otherwise easily available. This provides interesting grounds for comparison with similar works from other parts of the British Isles and elsewhere, written during this century in which women globally made such significant strides towards equality. That Welsh women participated fully in such developments is exemplified by this collection.