CAN THEY DO IT? Panel Discussion Explores Divisions On The Road To The 19th Amendment

Massachusetts Historical Society and The Greater Boston Women's Vote Centennial present "Can They Do It?" a panel discussion exploring divisions on the road to the 19th Amendment, featuring acclaimed historians Allison K. Lange, Corrine T. Field, Manisha Sinha, and Barbara F. Berenson.

The event takes place Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 3pm at Massachusetts Historic Society, located at 1154 Boylston Street in Boston. It is free and open to the public, RSVP encouraged at https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=2983.

The women's suffrage movement was not always a cohesive or inclusive space for everyone who fought for the vote, nor did the Nineteenth Amendment bring about political enfranchisement for all women. Conflicts around political philosophy, campaign tactics, and most notably, issues of race, led to a movement that was deeply fractured. The panel will further examine the divisions inherent in the movement and will look at how other social reform activists have historically struggled with coalition building and intersectionality.

"History is complicated and that is why uncovering the stories of our past is so important," explained MHS President Catherine Allgor. "Our current exhibition at the MHS is a great example of doing so as it presents the struggles for and against women's suffrage. The upcoming panel discussion is a fitting end to our show as we look at the complexities and divisions that were inside the suffrage movement to more fully understand what this movement meant to women of all races and classes in America."

Commemorating 100 years since Massachusetts ratified the 19th Amendment, this exhibition at the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) explores the activism and debate around women's suffrage in Massachusetts. Featuring dynamic imagery from the collection of the MHS, "Can She Do It?" Massachusetts Debates a Woman's Right to Vote illustrates the passion on each side of the suffrage question. The exhibition is open at the MHS April 26 through September 21, 2019, Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Curated by Allison K. Lange.