Women’s Suffrage
THE PROBLEM
The suffrage history of Maryland’s historic site is often overlooked. The need is there to research and document the tangible connections to the extraordinary fight to gain women the right to vote. This information can then be used to update the existing historic record for more inclusive information about Maryland’s suffragists.
THE FIX
In preparation for the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which gave women the right to vote, Preservation Maryland in undertaking a project to emphasize the struggles, achievements and personal contributions of a once disenfranchised majority as part of a larger story of civil rights movements in Maryland and America.
LISTEN NOW
Preservation Maryland is using our 21th-century tools and an inclusive historic approach to elevate the complex history of Maryland’s suffragists and their lasting legacy on equality in the United States. The Ballot & Beyond multi-media public history project is powered by Preservation Maryland’s Six-to-Fix program with additional support by Gallagher, Evelius & Jones. Biographical sketches and historic images of over two dozen remarkable Maryland women are now streaming for free on Ballot & Beyond. You’ll learn about many Maryland women of note including suffragists, legislators, judges, philanthropists, and more.
Caravan of suffragists rally in Hyattsville, Maryland before traveling to Washington, DC. Image from Library of Congress.
HISTORY & SIGNIFICANCE
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was signed into law and officially granted twenty million American women the right to vote. This mass expansion in voting rights was the result of over 70 years of intense activism known as the women’s suffrage movement. The success of this campaign was driven by the hard work and commitment of a nationwide pool of women of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, including thousands of Marylanders.
Maryland’s suffragists played an important role in the passage of the 19th Amendment. Even though the Maryland legislature failed to ratify the suffrage amendment at the time, the women’s suffrage movement had a powerful impact on the state. Mass activism by suffragists throughout Maryland permanently changed the social and political roles of women by bringing them into new spheres of civic and political engagement. The diversity of sites associated with the suffrage movement reflects the breadth of suffragists’ work and the wide range of strategies they used to marshal social and political power in the face of entrenched institutional opposition.
THREAT & GOALS
This project’s goals are to update and amend the listings for numerous National Register Historic Districts, multiple individually listed National Register historic properties, document previously overlooked historic sites that are important to the women’s suffrage movement and widely promote the contributions of Maryland’s suffragists to this landmark civil rights struggle. Since women’s suffrage organizations were racially segregated in the years leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment, this project will pay particular attention to historic sites associated with Maryland’s African American women who were active in the suffrage movement.
Updates
AUGUST 2020
Citizens across the country celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment this August and Preservation Maryland contributed to the expansion of new research and interest on the complex history of the Women’s Suffrage movement and legacy by releasing a new season of biographies on the organization’s Ballot & Beyond podcast and online exhibit.
AUGUST 2020
Preservation Maryland was invited to present a brief history of Maryland’s Suffrage Movement as part of the organization’s multi-year Six-to-Fix initiative to bring one the most important – but overlooked – civil rights movements in Maryland and America to light. Meagan Baco, Director of Communications gave the presentation in August 2020 at the invitation of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation.
MARCH 2020
To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Preservation Maryland is using our 21th-century tools and an inclusive historic approach to elevate the complex history of Maryland’s suffragists and their lasting legacy on equality in the United States. The Ballot & Beyond project is powered by Preservation Maryland’s Six-to-Fix program with additional support by Gallagher, Evelius & Jones.
RESOURCES
National Votes for Women Trail
Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
State Planning Guide
Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
Interactive Map of Women’s Suffrage Sites in Maryland
Maryland Historical Trust
Women’s Suffrage History Timeline
National Park Service
Woman Suffrage in Maryland Digital Collection
Enoch Pratt Free Library
NEWS
08/01/2018
“Hillary Clinton and Steven Spielberg set to bring women’s suffrage story to TV”
PhillyVoice
04/08/2018
“Unearthing history: Could a piece of suffragette movement be hidden beneath a parking lot?”
Hyattsville Life & Time
03/01/2018
“Frederick suffrage march re-enactment to honor history, addresses modern civic issues”
The Frederick News-Post
Can we count on you?
Preservation Maryland isn’t just preserving the past – we’re investing in our future. In just the past year we’ve invested heavily in our work and refused to accept the mounting challenges as a reason to retreat or hold our position. You are making it all possible.