On Thursday, February 26th, author Lorissa Rinehart visited the Center for Politics to discuss her most recent publication, a biography about the first woman elected to Congress: Jeanette Rankin. In the newly renovated center, University students, faculty, and community members joined Tara Setmayer as she led a discussion through the inspiration, research, and findings of Rinehart’s scholarship on this important part of women’s history.
Tara Setmayer is an ABC News political contributor and has received wide acclaim for her ability to navigate political communication, earning a “Top 20” distinction from Vulture for her coverage of the 2016 Election. Her clear questions brought to light the thorough and profound work that went into this biography, providing plenty of opportunities for Rinehart to elaborate on her research.
Rinehart is originally from California, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Literature. She then moved to Manhattan, where she took on a role as an art curator for about a decade, but her interest in history eventually brought her to her current role where she explores women’s history through both the past and present across various mediums, such as the “The Female Body Politic,” a weekly podcast and newsletter, speaking at various TedX events, as well as written, with “Winning the Earthquake” coming just after her first publication, “First to the Front” which explores the life of the female war correspondent Dickey Chapelle.
Rinehart began the discussion by exploring her initial interest in and research on Jeanette Rankin’s life and political career. She explained that Rankin was born to Canadian immigrants in Montana in 1880, but quickly became involved in the political scene that was far less rigid and structured, providing an opportunity for her to get closer to the patterns and rules of American politics.
One key example of this that Rinehart mentioned was the effects that she caused in the mining town of Butte, Montana. As a young woman, as Rinehart explained, Rankin developed her unique style of “fiery” oratory, addressing the public from a literal soapbox in the middle of the street. Butte served as a trial ground for the development of her political personality, which proved hugely influential. The town was much more sympathetic towards women’s suffrage in the polls taken soon after, explained Rinehart, with Rankin’s influence likely demonstrating to the population of Butte that women were not only capable of political involvement despite their sex but also very effective communicators in ways the public had not yet seen.
Jeanette Rankin was elected to office in 1916 to represent her home state, developing a reputation as a pacifist as her career brought her to the Congressional decisions for both World Wars I and II, distinguishing herself as the only senator who didn’t vote for war with Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This spirit also carried over into the social transformations of the 60s and 70s, with Rankin, even at the end of her life, remaining a staunch anti-war advocate and becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement.
At the end of the event, Rinehart concluded, highlighting Rankin’s importance as a political changemaker and independent thinker. In an environment where bureaucracy and partisanship repeatedly seem to impede the transformation Americans seek in their government and institutions, Rinehart presented Rankin, both in her book and in her interview, as a model of politicians who unashamedly hold to their opinions steadfastly to best serve the interests of their constituents.
Leave a Reply