four hundred years of struggle for liberty and equal justice in America Lawrence, Michael Anthony creator author. text Cambridge New York Cambridge University Press 2011 monographic Eng lis h. xii, 396p. ill. ; Radicals in Their Own Time explores the lives of five Americans, with lifetimes spanning four hundred years, who agitated for greater freedom in America. Every generation has them: individuals who speak truth to power and crave freedom from arbitrary authority. This book makes two important observations in discussing Roger Williams, Thomas Paine, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, W. E. B. Du Bois and Vine Deloria, Jr. First, each believed that government must broadly tolerate individual autonomy. Second, each argued that religious orthodoxy has been a major source of society's ills – and all endured serious negative repercussions for doing so. The book challenges Christian orthodoxy and argues that part of what makes these five figures compelling is their willingness to pay the price for their convictions – much to the lasting benefit of liberty and equal justice in America. Roger Williams (1603-1683) : Freeborn -- Thomas Paine (1737-1809) : Revolution -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) : Gender Wars -- W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) : American Apartheid -- Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933-2005) : Betrayals and Bridges. Michael Anthony Lawrence. Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-370) and index. English. Civil rights United States History Civil rights workers United States Biography 973.099 LAW-R 9780521193665 (hbk.)