An American Revolutionary: Esther De Berdt Reed and the Invention of Women's Political Organizing (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798287576349)

In 1780, while Washington's army shivered in rags, a young Philadelphia woman did something unprecedented: she organized the first national women's political movement in American history.

Esther De Berdt Reed should be a household name. Born into London's merchant elite, she sacrificed everything for American independence-fleeing her occupied home with three young children, managing alone while her husband served Washington, and watching their comfortable life dissolve into revolutionary chaos.

But Esther did more than survive. When she saw soldiers marching barefoot through Philadelphia's streets, she acted. Her "Ladies Association" mobilized thousands of women across thirteen states, raised enormous sums, and negotiated directly with George Washington himself-establishing the template for every women's political organization that followed.

Based on previously overlooked letters and documents, An American Revolutionary reveals:

- How a London merchant's daughter became America's most innovative political organizer
- The untold story of women who funded the Revolution when Congress couldn't
- Washington's remarkable correspondence with a woman who dared to challenge his orders
- Why Esther's premature death at 33 may have changed the course of women's rights

From Philadelphia's glittering salons to makeshift refugee camps, from diplomatic dinners to door-to-door campaigns, Esther De Berdt Reed transformed what it meant to be an American woman. Her story-brilliant, tragic, and utterly inspiring-proves that the Revolution succeeded not just through battles won, but through the organizational genius of a forgotten founder.

Every American should know Esther Reed's name. This book ensures they will.

Perfect for anyone who believes America's true history includes the women who built it.