Women and Bicycles in America, 1868–1900

In the last third of the 1800s, America was struck by a bicycle craze. This trend massively impacted the lives of women, allowing them greater mobility and changing perceptions of women as weak or in need of chaperons. This book traces the history and development of the American bicycle, observing its critical role in the fight for gender equality. The bicycle radically changed the face of fashion, health and even morality and propriety in America. This thorough history traces the sweeping social advances made by women in relation to the development of the bicycle.

Cultural historian Kerry Segrave is the author of dozens of books on such diverse topics as drive-in theaters, ticket-scalping, lie detectors, jukeboxes, smoking and shoplifting. He lives in British Columbia.

Kerry Segrave
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 230
Bibliographic Info: 146 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7985-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3808-9
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1
Introduction  3
1. From the Dandy Horse to the Velocipede  5
2. The Tricycle  15
3. The Bicycle to 1889  36
4. 1890s—Popularity  62
5. 1890s—Health  105
6. 1890s—Morality and Propriety  123
7. 1890s—Fashion  151
Chapter Notes  205
Bibliography  213
Index  219