The nineteenth century, a time of cultural, political, and socio-economic transformation in Europe, brought about fundamental changes in the role of women. Women achieved this by fighting for their rights in the legal, economic, and political spheres. This volume provides a context to the movement by including countries from all regions of Europe.

"...This volume...is an excellent introduction to early women's movements."--Choice
"This is a welcome addition to the field, and one that scholars will find particularly useful in their efforts to move their understanding beyond the well-known examples of British, French, or German feminism."--American Historical Review

" . . . [T]his book makes significant contributions to the project of understanding the history of the socio-political movements to improve women's condition in Europe as well as making a persuasive argument for the centrality of this history in the portrait of the Continent in the nineteenth-century."