Join us at the MHS this week for a program! Here is a look at what is planned:
On Monday, 10 June, at 6:00 PM: Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, & the Fight for the Right to Vote with Tina Cassidy. In 1913, on the eve of his presidential oath of office, Woodrow Wilson landed in Washington, D.C., to witness 8,000 protesting suffragists, led by Alice Paul. From solitary confinement, hunger strikes, and mental institutions to sitting right across from President Wilson, this narrative reveals the inspiring near-death journey, spearheaded in no small part by Paul’s leadership, it took to grant women the right to vote in America. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30 PM; the speaking program begins at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
On Wednesday, 12 June, at 12:00 PM: “I did glimpse a tiger, but what I really got was malaria”: Massachusetts Women in India, 1920-1940 with Shealeen A. Meaney, Russell Sage College. Today we hear about American women heading off to Rishikesh to trian as yoga instructors, but what did India mean to women travelers from Massachusetts a century ago? This talk explores the ways that women experienced and wrote about India as tourists, hunters, and seekers in the decades after suffrage. This is part of our brown-bag lunch program. Brown-bags are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, 12 June, at 5:00 PM: MHS Fellows Annual Meeting & Reception. MHS Fellows are invited to a special program at 4:30 PM followed by the Society’s annual business meeting at 5:00 PM. A reception will follow. This program is open only to MHS Fellows.
On Thursday, 13 June, at 6:00 PM: The Presidents: Noted Historians on the Lives & Leadership of America’s Best & Worst Chief Executives with Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, James Traub, and Peter Drummey. Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America’s presidents across a variety of categories—their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders, along with much in between. Brian Lamb and Susan Swain will discuss presidential leadership qualities with historian James Traub and Peter Drummey, MHS. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30 PM; the speaking program begins at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
On Saturday, 15 June at 10:00 AM: The History & Collections of the MHS. This is a 90-minute docent-led walk through of our public rooms. The tour is free and open to the public. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org.
“Can She Do It?”: Massachusetts Debates a Woman’s Right to Vote is open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Featuring dynamic imagery from the collection of the MHS, the exhibition illustrates the passion on each side of the suffrage question. For over a century, Americans debated whether women should vote. The materials on display demonstrate the arguments made by suffragists and their opponents. While women at the polls may seem unremarkable today, these contentious campaigns formed the foundations for modern debates about gender and politics.
Take a look at our calendar page for information about upcoming programs.