The Voice of Liberty

In 1886 Lillie Devereux Blake, her daughter Katie, and their friend Matilda Joslyn Gage decided to protest at the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Why? They thought it wrong for Liberty to be portrayed as a woman when women could not even vote in the United States. As officers of the state suffrage association, they applied to speak at the ceremony but the answer was no. They did get permission to sail in the naval parade, but with only four dollars in the treasury, how could they pay a hundred dollars to rent a boat? And the only boat still available was a dirty, smelly cattle barge.

With charming illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham, this book tells how dedicated women gave the beautiful statue a voice—The Voice of Liberty!

Reviews of The Voice of Liberty

Kirkus Reviews: "The clipped prose and vigorous efforts of the stalwart women promote fast-paced reading and dramatize some particulars of the momentous celebration. Bold, colorful, energetic illustrations capture time and place well... A fine tribute as 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment."

The Midwest Book Review: "The Voice of Liberty is an entertaining and informative picture book that is particularly and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library American History picture book collections for young readers ages 6-10."

Publishers Weekly: "This inspirational story of three women who refused to take no for answer should clearly resound with today’s climate of protest and the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s ratification. Ages 7–11."

School Library Journal: "Carpenter and Fotheringham set the stage for dramatic and interactive read-alouds with the repetition of a phrase of resistance ("Well, not everyone"), sourced dialogue, and well-placed illustrations."

Read full review of 'Raising Their Voices for Liberty' on Foreword Reviews

'Standing with Matilda' Q & A with Laura from Journey to Imagination

The Voice of Liberty Craft Projects

Create your own Statue of Liberty and its torch, as you read the book and learned about three women who raised their voice for women across the United States by protesting at the Statue of Liberty. Think about what the concept of liberty and the Statue of Liberty is made of.

Download the stand-up Statue of Liberty Cube pattern (easy).

Download the Torch pattern (intermediate).

Download the Statue of Liberty Cube pattern (complex).

Download the photos of all craft projects

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