Justice Bell Foundation
Reclaiming Women's History. Highlighting Women's Contributions. Promoting Voter Participation.

The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol

The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol tells the story of a band of intrepid women and their one-ton bronze bell that became an icon of the American women's suffrage movement. With its clapper chained and muted to represent the silencing of women’s voices, the Justice Bell rallied support for the cause in the crucial last years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

A little over a century ago, the Justice Bell was a media darling and was seen by more than a million people during a months-long tour through Pennsylvania and later to other states. Today, few people know about the once-famous bell. Yet, it is one of the few physical objects to have survived from the suffrage era.

With new research and historical photographs, Amanda Owen’s account of this neglected chapter of American history illustrates how women’s clever use of a bell as a branding tool for voting rights created an attention-getting campaign. Along the way, they battled a well-funded liquor industry that was terrified women voters would ban alcohol, manufacturers who were convinced women would limit child labor, and men who thought women weren’t smart enough to vote. 

The Justice Bell features noted events and speeches, and profiles suffragists who demonstrate the persistence required in a decades-long movement. As new generations seek strategies in the ongoing fight for gender equality, Owen’s account of a story from the past reminds us that a symbol has the power to galvanize people and fuel a movement.

Sign up for our newsletter to be notified about when the book is ready for sale.