This book offers an inspirational study of the role of women's groups in taming and reclaiming a small midwestern city.A case study in the evolution and influence of women's groups as they moved from the private to public spheres, "Women of Conscience" documents the means by which church groups, literary study groups, and benevolent societies empowered women in a small, midwestern town to enact progressive community reforms and achieve suffrage. In their appraisal of the efforts and actions of the clubwomen of Danville, Illinois, Cornelius and Kay illustrate the potential of women united in...