Disloyal Mothers and Scurrilous Citizens: Women and Subversion During World War I

Anti-radical politics raised questions about the state's role in defining motherhood and social reproduction. In this book, Kennedy shows that state authorities often defined women's subversion as a violation of their maternal roles. Yet, with the exception of Kate Richards O'Hare, the women charged with sedition did not define their political behavior within the terms set by maternalism. Instead, they used liberal arguments of equality, justice, and democratic citizenship to argue for their right to speak frankly about American policy. Such claims, while often in opposition to strategies outlined by their defense teams, helped form the framework for modern arguments made in defense of civil liberties.