Rochester, New York: Susan B. Anthony, 1902. First edition. First edition of volume four of Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper's monumental history of women's suffrage, inscribed by Anthony to her cousin Henry Vail on the front free endpaper: "I can send you this book - / dear Cousin - if I can't go to see / you - It is the work of Mrs. Harper / and self the past two years - I am / sure you will enjoy seeing what / gains woman has made in the last score / of years - affectionately yours / Susan B. Anthony / 17 Madison St / Rochester / NY / May 25, 1903." Publisher's maroon cloth titled in gilt. [li], 1144 pp., complete with eleven plates (including frontisportrait of Anthony). Slight edgewear, small chip to cloth on one board, and a bit of faint spotting. Minor toning to a couple leaves. Some dampstaining to fore-edge of text block, slightly encroaching on margins of the last hundred pages or so. Overall a Very Good, fresh copy.

The History of Woman Suffrage eventually spanned six volumes published between 1881 and 1922, with Vol. IV being the last published during Anthony's lifetime (1820 - 1906). Spanning over 5,000 pages and drawing on primary sources from the National Woman Suffrage Association leaders and their archives, the work is still considered one of the most important accounts of this American equality movement. For Anthony, it was critical that women write themselves into United States history as well as leave a road map for future activists. To this end, when it became clear in 1885 that this comprehensive project would cost more money than it would raise, she purchased the rights to the contents and plates for Volumes I-II and published Volumes III-IV as sole owner (with her imprint appearing on the title-page of the present volume). The fifteen years that passed between the publication of Volume III (1887) and Volume IV had seen a massive and effective expansion of voting rights to women on the state level; and a federal law nicknamed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment had been proposed for ratification to extend voting rights to women at the national level. Anthony's inscription to her cousin references these huge gains made in women's rights, acknowledging the recent successes of the suffrage movement and anticipating the future victories that would continue after her death. The final two volumes of The History of Woman Suffrage were published under the direction of Ida Husted Harper and Anthony's protegee Matilda Gage. Very Good (Item #6801)