For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States Paperback – May 25, 2006

I gave this book a five star rating, because it was very eye opening to the struggles that occurred to allow animals to be treated as they are now. I highly recommend every animal lover to read this book.

Essential reading that acknowledges the role passion driven activism has played in the fight to protect and honor animals, long before mega-organizations with hundreds-of-millions a year in charitable donations dominated the discourse.

This book was easy to read and informative. I was researching the history of the animal welfare movement when I bought it, and it proved to be very helpful.

Really fascinating and a must read! Super seller too!

I ordered this book for a class I was taking. It came very quickly and was in great condition. The book itself really opened my eyes to a lot of things that I hadn't realized about animals and the way people treat them.

Not much to this book, mostly total emotion with nothing to really substantiate the animal rights mentality.

There has likely never been a time when the words "animal rights activism" have elicited a stronger reaction from both sides of the stockyard fence. But do we ever stop to consider how this movement began? Who were the first proponents? What were their early successes - and failures? Moreover, what can we learn from the past to gain victories for animals today?For the thoughtful insights into these issues and more, treat yourself to Diane Beers' "For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States." Beers, a professor of history at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts, has done what a writer within the animal-rights movement probably could not: given us a narrative that is at once a straightforward, authoritative account of the origins of animal rights activism and a compelling critique of the movement's triumphs and missteps from 1866 to 1975.Animal activism, it turns out, is nearly as old as the word "vegetarian." Both sprang from England in the middle of the 19th century - one as a way to better define a culinary choice and the other to defend those caught in the crosshairs of humanity's hunger for scientific advancement, reliable transportation, momentary amusement and animal flesh. Exploring long-forgotten files in dusty broom closets in her pursuit of history, Beers unearths a remarkable story. Some of her discoveries are no surprise, such as that the founders of animal activism were mostly women. Yet others are downright revelatory. Who knew, for example, that activists convinced the Ringling-Barnum and Bailey Circus to stop using animal acts for five years?The author introduces us to many of the compassionate individuals who helped forge the early movement - people like Ella Wilcox Wheeler, Anna Harris Smith and Henry Bergh, whom Beers describes as "the dynamo of American animal advocacy." But it is Caroline Earle White who leaps from the pages as the most inspiring and vocal activist of the 19th century. A passionate crusader, White helped create the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1867 and later founded the Anti-Vivisection Society of America.The ideological struggle between reform and abolition for animals was palpable as activists in the 20th century battled groups formed to promote animal exploitation, confronted the tragic confluence of shelters and medical labs and organized against factory farming. Animal activism has now matured from what detractors once regarded as "a fringe cause dominated by hysterical, primarily female sentimentalists" into a growing concern for millions of ethically minded Americans.If "For the Prevention of Cruelty" were simply a history of animal rights activism, it would be an indispensable work, both for its social commentary and as a chronicle of humane action. But the author takes the subject a step beyond, inviting readers to consider the impact of factions within the movement coming together with environmentalism to form a powerful, united coalition for animals and the planet. We have the work of early activists to thank for what we're able to accomplish today, and we have Diane Beers to thank for a skillfully written account that brings to life their efforts on behalf of the voiceless.Mark Hawthorne, author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism

I am currently attending Dr. Beers History of Animal Advocacy class and we have been using this book as the required reading. It is such a great historical reference to early animal rights movements and just such a great read.