Today-August 26, 2012-is the day to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the Joint Resolution by Congress establishing August 26th as Women’s Equality Day in commemoration of women winning the fierce fight for woman suffrage with the addition of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, 92 years ago. In my book, I quoted from Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s 1850 letter to the organizers of the first Ohio Women’s Convention in which she underscored both the importance of and resistance to woman suffrage: “Depend upon it, this is the point to attack the stronghold of the fortress–the one women will find the most difficult to take, the one man will most reluctantly give up.” She was right, but the battle was finally won, so today and everyday let’s remember the struggle, celebrate the victory, and exercise our right to vote! The photos are from my talk yesterday in the carriage house (in the process of restoration) at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Landmark, Peterboro, NY. Elizabeth and Gerrit, a leading reformer and philanthropist, were first cousins.
I speak in a variety of venues, including this under-restoration carriage house at the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark. (Linda was both listening to me speak & watching a mouse running in and out and around. Knowing I'm not a fan of mice, even "cute" field mice, she noted that I wasn't wearing sandals, so she figured I wouldn't mind if a mouse ran over my feet.
I was delighted to meet and to autograph Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship That Changed the World for Jim, a history-lover who came from Syracuse to my talk.