Activities across the state will commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in 2020

On Jan. 16, 1920, the Indiana General Assembly ratified the 19th Amendment.

In August of that year, the U.S. Congress finally approved it—nearly 70 years after the first women’s rights convention in Indiana. One hundred years later, activities across the state will commemorate these historic votes and celebrate the Hoosiers who helped women in Indiana and across the country secure the right to vote.
Events, exhibits and talks about women’s suffrage will happen across the state—from Angola to Evansville and nearly every county in between.

The Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial is catalyzed by Indiana Humanities, the Indianapolis Propylaeum, the Indiana Historical Society, the Indiana Historical Bureau, and the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

“The centennial of women’s suffrage is an opportunity to honor the Hoosiers who played a role in the suffrage movement and to learn about its complicated history,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “We’re excited so many communities across Indiana will have the chance to learn more about this important milestone and the issues that surrounded it. Wherever you live, you’ll be able to take part in the celebration.”

There are many ways Hoosiers can participate in the women’s suffrage centennial commemorations, including:

• Celebrate ratification day. Hoosiers can head to the Indiana Statehouse on Jan. 16 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of that important day. The day’s activities include remarks by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, a performance by the Capital City Chorus, a presentation about Indiana’s suffrage history by Dr. Anita Morgan, and a special resolution presentation during the Indiana House and the Indiana Senate sessions. Securing the Vote, the new traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society, also will be on display.
• Attend a speakers bureau talk. Nearly 40 talks about women’s suffrage will be happening across the state in 2020, thanks to funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. and Hillenbrand, Inc. Nine scholars will travel to various locations (see below for locations).
• Visit the traveling exhibit. Securing the Vote: Women’s Suffrage in Indiana is a new traveling exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society. The exhibit, which will travel to more than 20 locations during 2020, explores how women across Indiana passionately labored for suffrage through countless meetings, campaigns and grassroots efforts (see below for locations).
• Request a poster. Every school and library in Indiana received a poster that helps tell the story of women’s suffrage in Indiana, thanks to funding from the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. The posters explain key moments in the long march to the voting booth and stories of the inspiring Hoosiers who led the way. But anyone can request one until supplies run out.
• Read a book. A new book is coming in March—just in time for Women’s History Month. Written by historian Dr. Anita Morgan, “We Must Be Fearless”: The Woman Suffrage Movement in Indiana examines the struggles and triumphs of myriad Hoosier women—black and white, rich and poor, urban and rural—who banded together to seek equal rights with men at the ballot box.

Other upcoming events of note include:

• March 6, 2020 | We Wait., a women’s suffrage-related art exhibit and First Friday event (Harrison Center for the Arts, Indianapolis)
• March 7, 2020 | Hoosier Women at Work Conference: Suffrage and Citizenship (Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis)
• March 30, 2020 | Suffrage Teacher Workshop presented by the Indiana State Museum (Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis)
• May 30, 2020 | Suffrage Teacher Workshop presented by the Indiana State Museum (Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne)
• June 13, 2020 | Suffrage Teacher Workshop presented by the Indiana State Museum (Culbertson Mansion, New Albany)
• Aug. 22, 2020 | Women’s Suffrage Block Party presented by Indiana Historical Society, Eiteljorg Museum and Indiana State Museum (Downtown canal and museums, Indianapolis)

For more information on the teacher workshops visit www.IndianaMuseum.org/educator-resources.

Organizations selected to host speakers bureau talks include:

ORGANIZATION	CITY	SPEAKER
Franklin County Public Library	Brookville	Kristen Garvey
American Assoc. of University Women, Goshen Branch	Goshen	Jamie Wagman
Anderson University	Anderson	Janine Giordano
Bartholomew County Public Library	Columbus	Marsha Miller
Carnegie Public of Steuben County	Angola	Melissa Gentry
Crown Point Community Library	Crown Point	Melissa Gentry
Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science	Evansville	Melissa Gentry
Fulton County Public Library	Rochester	Laura Merrifield Wilson
Girl Scouts of Central Indiana	Indianapolis	TBD
Harrison County Public Library	Corydon	Marsha Miller
Hussey Mayfield Public Library	Zionsville	Anita Morgan
Indiana Assoc. of Spiritualists	Chesterfield	Melissa Gentry
Indianapolis Propylaeum	Indianapolis	Anita Morgan
Indiana State Museum-New Harmony Historic Site	New Harmony	Einav Rabinovitch- Fox
Irvington Historical Society	Indianapolis	Jackie Swihart
Indiana State Bar Assoc. (Women in Law Div.)	Indianapolis	Laura Merrifield Wilson
Johnson County Historical Society	Franklin	Vivian Deno
Lake County Public Library	Merrillville	Jamie Wagman
La Porte County Public Library	La Porte	Einav Rabinovitch- Fox
League of Women Voters, Hamilton County	TBD	TBD
League of Women Voters, Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Vivian Deno
Levi & Catharine Coffin Historic Site	Fountain City	Jackie Swihart
Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society	Crawfordsville	Marsha Miller
Marion Public Library	Marion	Janine Giordano
Marshall Co Historical Society	Plymouth	Kristen Garvey
Miami Co. Indiana Worth Remembering	Peru	Melissa Gentry
Michigan City Public Library	Michigan City	Janine Giordano
Monroe County History Center	Bloomington	Laura Merrifield Wilson
Monticello Union Twp. Public Library	Monticello	Anita Morgan
Notre Dame Women’s Legal Forum	South Bend	Jamie Wagman
Porter County Public Library	Valparaiso	Laura Merrifield Wilson
Purdue Northwest Department of History & Philosophy	Hammond	Joan Marie Johnson
Putnam County Public Library	Greencastle	Vivian Deno
Southern Indiana Genealogical Society	New Albany	Anita Morgan
St. Joseph County Public Library	South Bend	Vivian Deno
Sugar Creek Historical Society	Thorntown	Marsha Miller
Vincennes University	Vincennes	Marsha Miller
West Lafayette Public Library	West Lafayette	Laura Merrifield Wilson

The dates are still being finalized for the talks, but topics include:

• Traveling with Susan B. Anthony by Kristen Garvey
  When, where and why did national figures visit Indiana in their quest to gain suffrage?
• Intersectionality in the Midwest Suffrage Movement by Jamie Wagman, St. Mary’s College
  How did early Midwestern feminists, from various backgrounds, conceive of freedom?
• The Other Feminists: Socialists, Laborers and Anti-Lynching Activists by Janine Giordano Drake, Indiana University
  Why did working women strategically align themselves with suffrage organizations?
• From Amanda to Zerelda: Hoosier Suffragists Who Raised a Ruckus by Marsha Miller, Indiana State University
  What did the women’s suffrage movement look like in Indiana and who were its pioneers?
• From Seneca Falls to Seymour and South Bend: Mapping Indiana’s Suffrage History by Melissa Gentry, Ball State University
  What can we learn by mapping Indiana’s women’s suffrage movement and its leaders?
• Have We Come a Long Way, Baby? by Laura Merrifield Wilson, University of Indianapolis
  How successful have women been in elected politics post-suffrage? What barriers remain?
• Motors and Mass Rallies: Expanding the Movement after 1909 by Anita Morgan, IUPUI
  How did the incorporation of new women’s groups and technology contribute to the suffrage movement’s growth after 1909?
• Fashioning Suffrage: Suffragists’ Political Style and Its Visual Legacies by Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, Case Western Reserve University
  How did suffragists shape political style, and how did their political legacy inspire and affect more recent struggles for equality?
• The “Undefeatable” Grace Julian Clarke by Jackie Swihart
  What does the trajectory of this Indianapolis suffragist’s political career tell us about the ways women were political before, during and after the 19th Amendment?

There are two copies of the traveling exhibit, and they will travel to the following locations:

• Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis | Jan. 4 to Jan. 29, 2020
• Franklin High School, Indianapolis | Jan. 8 to Feb. 2, 2020
• Cass County Historical Society, Logansport | Feb. 4 to March 3, 2020
• Butler University Irwin Library, Indianapolis | Feb. 4 to March 3, 2020
• Hammond Public Library, Hammond | March 5 to April 2, 2020
• Avon-Washington Township Public Library, Avon | March 10 to April 8, 2020
• South Bend League of Women Voters at South Bend Civic Theatre, South Bend | April 6 to May 6, 2020
• Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County, Crawfordsville | April 10 to May 7, 2020
• Miami County Historical Society, Peru | May 7 to June 7, 2020
• Ruthmere Museum, Elkhart | May 12 to June 4, 2020
• South Whitley Community Public Library, South Whitley | June 6 to June 30, 2020
• Tippecanoe County Historical Association, Battleground | June 9 to July 6, 2020
• Howard County Historical Society, Kokomo | July 2 to July 27, 2020
• Bartholomew County History Center, Columbus | July 10 to Aug. 5, 2020
• Jasper County Public Library, Rensselaer | July 29 to Aug. 20, 2020
• Steuben County Historical Society, Angola | Aug. 8 to Sept. 7, 2020
• Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Indianapolis | Aug. 25 to Sept. 29, 2020
• Delaware County Historical Society, Muncie | Sept. 9 to Oct. 6, 2020
• La Porte County Public Library, La Porte | Oct. 2 to Nov. 3, 2020
• Pike County Historical Society, Petersburg | Oct. 10 to Nov. 5, 2020
• Irvington Historical Society, Indianapolis | Nov. 5 to Dec. 6, 2020
• Guerin Catholic High School, Noblesville | Nov. 10 to Dec. 6, 2020
• Fairmount Public Library, Fairmount | Dec. 8, 2020 to Jan. 6, 2021

Contact local organizations for more details on the traveling exhibit and the speakers bureau talks.

Keep up to date with all things Indiana Women’s Suffrage by visiting Indianasuffrage100.org