British Columbia is often overlooked in the national story of women’s struggle for political equality. This book rights that wrong. A Great Revolutionary Wave follows the propaganda campaigns undertaken by suffrage organizations and traces the role of working-class women in the fight for political equality. It demonstrates the connections between provincial and British suffragists, and examines how racial exclusion and Indigenous dispossession shaped arguments and tactics for enfranchisement. Lara Campbell rethinks the complex legacy of suffrage and traces the successes and limitations of women’s historical fight for political equality. That legacy remains relevant today as Canadians continue to grapple with the meaning of justice, inclusion, and equality.

Lara Campbell is Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University.

Lara Campbell's profile page

• Commended, Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing, British Columbia Historical Association
• Winner, Clio Awards (British Columbia), Canadian Historical Society

...[A Great Revolutionary Wave] compellingly argues that the stories of women’s suffrage cannot be read in isolation without recognizing their intimate connections with the stories of all people who were discriminated against and denied the vote on account of race, ethnicity, religion, marital status, and other characteristics of their personal, social, and political identities.

Canadian Law Library Review

An excellent addition to the Canadian series Women’s Suffrage and the Struggle for Democracy, the volume is a meaningful contribution to the ongoing dialogue on human rights and social justice.

BC History

Her book makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of herstory.

The Ormsby Review

A core rationale for this book series, Lara Campbell explains, is the need to 'tell regional stories' about the women's suffrage movement. Campbell's regional focus is justified by her treatment of elections at the municipal level and for school boards.

BC Studies