The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrag… (2024)

I've read a lot about women's history in the U.S., but I'd never heard of Julia and Abby Smith until I read this book. The two elderly sisters owned a farm in Connecticut, and the book tells about what happened when the local government tried to tax them unfairly (ie, take advantage of the fact that they were women). What I really like is the fact that everything the sisters did to fight back was within the law. They didn't resort to some of the illegal tactics used by the town leaders. They adopted the motto from the American Revolution, "Taxation without representation," as theirs, because this was 1874, and the women couldn't vote on the taxes that were being levied upon them. Fortunately, it didn't go as badly as it could have for the ladies, because most of the townspeople sided with them and helped when they could. I was especially pleased to read that the cows taken in lieu of taxes from the sisters refused to let anyone else milk them. Good going, girls! While this book may be of primary interest in kids in Connecticut, it's a good story for all kids to read, especially girls.

This is the greatest book and the best library sale purchase ever I AM SO HAPPY I HAVE IT NOW. I don't often say this but read the author's note at the end.

The Taxing Case of the Cows: A true story about Suffrage / Pegi Shea / 2010
Genre: Non-fiction
Format: picture book

Plot summary: In the 1800s, Abby and Julia Smith refused to pay an unfair property tax that they had no voice in establishing. When the authorities confiscated their cows, the Smiths bought them back at auction, year after year, attracting the attention of women's suffrage supporters across the country.

Considerations: discussion of political movements and gender roles
Section source: School Library Journal
Recommended age: 6-8

TOPICS:
women’s rights, activism, taxation

BOOK CONNECTIONS:
Mama Went to Jail for the Vote
I Could Do That: Ester Morris Gets Women the Vote
Around America to Win the Vote
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?
Elizabeth Leads the Way

This is a cute children's book about a real life event which happened to the Smith Sisters, who happen to be cousins of mine.

Great story and piece of history.

Could not some of our power Dames of film present this story? THINK OF THE COWS!!

Enjoy!

Abby and Julia Smith of Glastonbury, Connecticut, were independent elderly ladies who ran their own farm, raising cows, and seemingly minding their own business, until 1869, when the town elders (all men) decided to raise taxes--on single female landowners only. Abby insisted that they should have the right to vote on a decision that affected them--"taxation without representation!" they cried, much like their revolutionary war ancestors a hundred years earlier. But Abby and Julia not only didn't have the right to vote, they didn't even have the right to speak up in a town meeting. Their case became a cause celebre among women's rights advocates, and was written up in newspapers around the country.

The book provides a rather detailed account of the legal maneuvering, including the town taking the sisters' cows for collateral on their owed taxes to a neighbors farm, with the cows resisting every step of the way. The sisters sued when the town took away their land for non-payment, and eventually won their case on appeal. They toured the country, giving speeches and writing about women's rights. Sadly, they did not live long enough to see Congress pass the 19th amendment in 1920.

This book is attractively illustrated with Caldecott winning illustrator Emily McCully's signature watercolors, which lend a nostalgic feel to the story. Although this is a picture book, I would recommend this for older elementary school students (3rd through 6th grade), because of the relatively lengthy text and complexity of the story. It would be a terrific read-aloud for women's history month for the classroom or at home, and could provoke a good discussion of the evolution of women's rights.

There is so much little-known history in our typical US History education, so much that is brushed over. This book helps fill out the lesser developed (and long) fight for women's suffrage. What pluck and gumption these two sisters had and how unfairly they were treated for a long time by the town's leaders. Yet also, how much they were largely supported by the majority of their neighbors. An excellent read aloud for Women's History Month (or any other time of the year of course) as it complements the bigger picture that most of think we know. It is reassuring to see that the fight for women's suffrage began long before the 19th amendment was passed, which is when most history texts deal with the issue. It is so glaringly obvious even today, as it was when the book takes place, that the Smiths are victims of "taxation without representation" that even a child can grasp the concept. The author succeeds, in this teacher-librarian's opinion, in distilling down what could be a dry and prone to cliche story, into a compelling and well-explained story. The illustrations complement nicely as well.

The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage details the life of Abby and Julia Smith and their strides towards making women's suffrage a reality. The cows in this story were used as a bargaining chip by the community to stifle the Smith sisters' pleas for their right to vote. Abby and Julia Smith did their part in making women's suffrage a reality and their contribution to this monumental feat is elegantly told in The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage.

This book could be used around election time in the classroom to show how far the nation has come from where it once is. It can be used to reinforce the idea that the right to vote is not a right that should be taken lightly and that we as Americans need to exercise and respect our right to vote.

The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage did a great job of sharing facts while maintaining the reader's attention. The author shined a light on a pair of sisters who, until I read this book, knew nothing about. The Smith sisters were influential in the story of women's suffrage and I appreciate this new found respect I have for all women who fought for their right to vote.

We often under appreciate how long reform can take. The fight for women's suffrage was waged on many levels. The picture book The Taxing Case of the Cows tells of two sisters that in 19th century Glastonbury, CT who were subject to extra taxes on their farms due to being single female landowners. The Smith sisters instead of accepting this unfair tax challenged it for many years through demonstrations, speeches, law suits and the support of many in Glastonbury. Living in DC I loved their message about Taxation Without Representation fundamentally against the character of this country. So much available in this book -suffrage, taxation, civil-disobedience, role of the courts.

Paving the way for future suffragettes, Abby and Julia Smith of Glastonbury, Connecticut, spoke out and spoke out loudly about the injustice of taxation without representation. In 1869, town leaders decided to unfairly tax the sisters when the they needed more money.

Their outspoken rants gathered the townspeople to their side, and although taxation and voting laws were not changed in their lifetime, they paved the way for the suffrage movement in 1920. The Taxing Case of the Cows: A True Story About Suffrage is a true story full of historical facts, interesting personalities, and colorful illustrations.

One of those books that might be overlooked but I hope is not. The story of two elderly sisters in 1869 who found they were going to be unfairly taxed by their Connecticut town. The next years brought endless attempts by the town to thwart these valiant sisters who fought for the rights they should have had - but of course, at that time, did not.
Children may find it surprising that women did not have the right to vote until 1920 and this story of two heroic women who refused to cave to injustice, as well as the resourceful way their neighbors tried to help them, should be in every school library and children's public libraries.

This story was incredibly interesting and informative. With vivid watercolors, the story shows how two sisters in the 1800s were able to challenge their local patriarchal government and overturn an unfair law that allowed taxation on single women, without the right to vote. The story shows the women rallying for support from their community, and eventually winning the case. Their cows are given a role as activists as well, making this historical account a fun story. This would be a great text to illustrates the power of activism, and working for ones rights in hopes of equality.

In 1869, Abby and Julia Smith of Glastonbury, Connecticut protested tax levies against female landholders. Claiming that since they were not allowed to vote, these taxes represented "taxation without representation", the Smith sisters battled the local government off and on for many years in order to hold on to their livestock and land.

I found this little-known story of the early beginnings of the Women's Suffrage movement fascinating.

Done in a picture book style, the author does a great job of showing two ladies that did big things back in the day. Two spinster sisters find themselves being discriminated against by their town council when it comes to paying their taxes. The two sisters end up losing their beloved cows to pay off their taxes but keep fighting back. Based on a true story, this is a great book to show young readers how times have changed and now everyone has the right to vote for their voice.

A wonderfully presented story of two women who stood up for what they believed was right even though the prevailing tide of the presiding male leadership told them no. These women were true agents of change. This book presents them as heroes, and rightly so. The illustrations are wonderful. The text makes the complexity of the legal protests clear when it could have been difficult to understand what they were doing without a proper text. I really liked this book. Well done.

This is the story of two courageous sisters who fought unfair tax practices in their town during the late 1800s. Only single female landowners were victims of the town's new tax.
There are two problems with this tax:
1. Females are not allowed to vote - making this new tax "taxation without representation."
2. This new tax is discriminatory against female single landowners.
Lovely and descriptive watercolor illustrations.

Feisty sisters fight for fair taxation 100 years after the American revolution. True story of the Smith sister's who were unfairly taxed because they were single female landowners and the struggles they faced trying to save their dairy farm.

I loved reading about these sisters, who I had never heard of, who bravely stood up for their beliefs. This is a great choice for students in a biography unit who are ready to learn about someone "new and different".

A humorously told tale about what happens when you try to make unfair laws that affect people who can't vote. No, not about the American Revolution, this happened one hundred years later and involved two sisters and their cows.

RL 920. Taxation without representation-- true story of some women who stood up for themselves and women's suffrage.

Informative biographical picture book.

Interesting. Hard to believe it is a true story! Yay for stubborn old ladies.

A solid effort and an interesting story. I'm a big fan of educating kids about governmental tyranny but I can't pretend this will be widely read.

Tax without representation for women. The fight for women's right to vote. Family cows