Millions of American women were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. But more than a century earlier, women legally held the right to vote in New Jersey.
Celebrating the centennial of women's right to vote, we will explore the little-known history of the nation's first women voters -- and examine the political conflicts that led to their voting rights being stripped away in 1807.
Although New Jersey ultimately restricted the vote to propertied white men in 1807, women’s fight for equality did not end there. Rather, that earlier Revolutionary fight became a rallying cry as another generation of women took up the mantle of the suffrage movement decades later.
When Women Lost the Vote is an inspiring story that explores how the American Revolution shaped women’s political opportunities and activism and encourages visitors to reconsider their understanding of the timeline of women’s history in America. It is also a cautionary tale about one of America’s first voting rights crises.
Led by a historian from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, this experience also includes a tour of the virtual exhibition and a Q&A session. Featuring original objects including textiles, works of art, and newly-discovered poll lists highlighting women voters from the period, the virtual exhibition will bring to life the forgotten stories of the women who first pioneered the vote and became role models for women's suffragists two generations later.
This program will not be streamed or available on Facebook.
Register online or call the library at 973-584-2400.
The Roxbury Township Public Library is a municipal library serving the communities of Succasunna, Ledgewood, Landing, Berkshire Valley, Port Morris, and Kenvil. Residents of the township are eligible to a free library card which enables access to 2.8 million items across the Morris Library Alliance including digital books, museum passes and more.