Delaware Public Archives Dedicates Equal Suffrage Study Club Historical Marker

dedication of the equal suffrage study club marker

The Delaware Public Archives & Delaware Heritage Commission are proud to present the installation and unveiling of the “Equal Suffrage Study Club” Historical Marker — the final marker in the series of four Delaware Historical Markers celebrating the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing for women’s suffrage.

This Marker salutes the Equal Suffrage Study Club that was founded in 1914 by — and for — African American women and encouraged the public to campaign for women’s voting rights and the inclusion of African American women.

This NEW marker is installed along the Michael N. Castle Trail in close proximity to the location of the original colored schoolhouse that was the location of the 1920 meeting enshrined on this Delaware Historical Marker.

These Delaware Historical Markers have been installed with the support of the Delaware Women’s Suffrage Commission, in cooperation with the Delaware Heritage Commission and the Delaware Public Archives. Regretfully, the installation and presentation of these Historical Markers have been delayed due to the pandemic.

Learn more about the Delaware Centennial – www.archives.delaware.gov/women-vote-100

Delaware Public Archives Dedicates Women’s Suffrage Historical Marker

The Delaware Public Archives is happy to present the installation of a NEW Delaware Historical Marker, “Women’s Suffrage in Delaware.” This Marker remembers the 1920 conference that was held by Sussex County’s members of the General Assembly that heard opinions in support of and against women’s suffrage.

This Delaware Historical Marker, the third of four Historical Markers celebrating the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing for women’s suffrage, is located near the intersection of S. Bedford Street and The Circle, outside of the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown, Delaware.

These markers have been installed with the support of the Delaware Women’s Suffrage Commission, in cooperation with the Delaware Heritage Commission and the Delaware Public Archives. The installation and presentation of these Historical Markers have been delayed due to the pandemic.

Learn more about the Delaware Centennial – www.Archives.Delaware.gov/women-vote-100

Delaware Public Archives Dedicates Women’s Suffrage Parade Marker

The Delaware Public Archives is pleased to announce the installation of the second of four Historical Markers celebrating the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing for women’s suffrage.

The “Women’s Suffrage Parade” marker commemorates the parade by approximately 400 suffragists as they marched from the Pennsylvania Railroad Station to the New Castle County Court House.

The Historical Marker is located in the East Front Street Park, at the corner of N. Walnut & E. Front Streets, Wilmington, Delaware.

Learn more about the Delaware Centennial – www.Archives.Delaware.gov/women-vote-100

Delaware’s 22nd annual Chautauqua: “Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change” on Sept. 10, 11, 19 and 20, 2020

-All activities to be presented free via Zoom; registration required-

(DOVER, Del.—Aug. 31, 2020)—In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote, Delaware’s 22nd annual Chautauqua—“Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change”—will be presented virtually from the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes on Sept. 10, 11, 2020; and from the New Castle Court House Museum on Sept. 19 and 20, 2020.

NOTE: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 Chautauqua programs will not be conducted in front of a live audience but will instead be streamed live via Zoom. Each of the Chautauqua’s programs is free and open to its first 100 registrants. A complete listing of activities and registration instructions are available by going to https://history.delaware.gov/22nd-annual-chautauqua/.

“Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change” will demonstrate the passionate efforts of suffragists striving toward one goal—earning the right for women to vote and participate equally in the nation’s political, social and economic life. Through theatrical enactments by both individuals and groups, lectures and musical performances, virtual viewers will be immersed in the women’s suffrage movement and experience the impact that it had on Delaware and its people. Activities will be capped with performances by actor-historians from the American Historical Theatre portraying the noted suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt; and a concert by the Women’s Orchestra Project.

As a compliment to the 2020 Chautauqua, identical versions of the display “Nothing Less: Delaware, Women’s Suffrage, and Equal Rights” have been installed at the Zwaanendael Museum and the New Castle Court House Museum. Created by Delaware Humanities, the displays include two, three-sided columns featuring information and images on the suffrage movement in Delaware from 1848 onward. The displays will remain on view until the Chautauqua has been completed. Go to the following for information on visiting the museums in keeping with Gov. Carney’s Phase II reopening guidance issued in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chautauqua takes its name from a series of adult education programs that were first held at a campsite on the shores of Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York during the late 19th century. Chautauquas spread throughout America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries bringing speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day to a wide cross-section of the nation’s rural and small-town population. Circuit Chautauquas (also known as Tent Chautauquas) were an itinerant manifestation of the movement. Programs would be presented in tents pitched in a field near town. After several days, the Chautauqua would fold its tents and move on to the next community. The popularity of Chautauquas peaked in the mid-1920s, after which radio, movies and automobiles brought about the gradual disappearance of the movement by the 1940s.

Reborn in the 1970s as a vehicle for humanities education, modern Chautauquas are organized around a core program in which re-enactors take on the personas of celebrated historical figures, educating and entertaining audiences as they bring the past to life. Modern Chautauquas have been presented annually in Delaware since 1999 featuring a wide variety of historical figures including Martin Luther King Jr.; Mark Twain; Woodrow Wilson; Teddy Roosevelt; Abraham Lincoln; Amelia Earhart; Dolley Madison; Eleanor Roosevelt; Edgar Allan Poe; the Lone Ranger; John Philip Sousa; and Delaware’s own Pvt. James Elbert, Maj. Allen McLane, F.O.C. Darley and Clifford Brown.

“Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change” is co-sponsored by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Zwaanendael and New Castle Court House museums, the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and the New Castle Historical Society. Partial funding is provided by a grant from Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-608-5326
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

Interactive Site Commemorates Women’s Suffrage Centennial

DOVER – The Delaware Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee is launching its educational, history filled, and interactive website.

The website (de.gov/womenvote100) includes interactive quizzes for kids and adults, reading lists for people of all ages, and lesson plans for teachers and students of all ages. The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee created a website that includes a historical summary about the general Women’s Suffrage Movement as well as Delaware’s part in the effort. The site will include perspectives from people of all walks of life, making sure Delaware residents get a complete understanding of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

“We are excited about the launch of the website celebrating 100th anniversary of a woman’s right to vote. As a member of the Delaware Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee, it was important to create a digital platform that was interactive, educational, and one that would spark conversations about protecting the right to vote. The resources provided are user-friendly and designed for educators, community advocates and parents. We hope that the resources will be used to empower the next generation of women leaders who will be committed to a modern and forward-thinking movement, building on the powerful foundation as set forth by the Suffragists,” said Jackie Griffith, chair of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee and director of government and community relations at Delaware State University.

The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee was created by the passage of Delaware House Concurrent Resolution 21 on March 28, 2019. The resolution celebrates Delaware’s observance of the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, providing for women’s suffrage. The resolution calls on the Delaware Heritage Commission to organize meaningful events and exhibits to honor this anniversary.

The Committee is planning a march and creating a monument to be dedicated to the women and men who fought for the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee was formed to “Celebrate, educate, and continue the work of the Women’s Suffrage Movement by commemorating the 100th anniversary.”

• Celebrate – Recognize that the 19th Amendment was the one of the greatest expansions of women’s rights in the history of the United States.
• Educate – Focus on providing people with the history of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
• Continue – Acknowledge that although the Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed some barriers to voting, other barriers still persist.

“Delaware – and our entire country for that matter – is facing a significant moment with the upcoming 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. It is a time in is history we should not take lightly, so I applaud the fact-finding, creative and innovative work of the Delaware Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee,” said House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, prime sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 21. “The women’s suffrage movement was legendary and multi-faceted, and I am personally inspired by so many trailblazing leaders who have paved the way for women’s rights in our state. The subcommittee’s new website celebrates this effort by melding history, storytelling and current events, honoring that the right to vote is powerful and needed for women to make their voices heard.”

The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee (de.gov/womenvote100) is made up of appointed members from various committees in the State of Delaware to ensure we have the best minds at the table while planning the celebration. The Committee helps bring Delaware residents together through knowledge.