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Photo of the Week

FROM THE SCHS LIBRARY ARCHIVES

"How shall we know it is us without our past?"
- John Steinbeck

by Wendy Polhemus-Annibell, Head Librarian

Votes for New York Women: Celebrating Our State Suffrage Centennial. (Image collage from the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society Library Archives. Copyright © Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved.)

On November 6, 1917, New York's male voters headed to the polls and voted in favor of a state constitutional amendment granting New York women the right to vote. Monday will mark the 100th anniversary of that amendment to our state constitution, which was overwhelming approved by a margin of 53.92% to 46.08% statewide.

In New York, as in the rest of the United States, however, the road toward gender equality was not easy. Women had very limited rights when the new nation was founded, and it would take decades for the foundation of the women's movement to form. As with other social justice movements, it's easy to forget that women's right to vote was neither inevitable nor quickly won. But by 1917, New York's successful referendum helped set the stage for the adoption of the 19th Amendment nationwide three years later.

The 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York has been marked by the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum's exhibit and programs, including our “Votes for New York Women: A Centennial Exhibit” profiling Long Island women involved in the suffrage movement, and the upcoming book talk on The Suffragents by Brooke Kroeger later this month. On Tuesday, Election Day, at your polling place, look for the official centennial sticker, "I Voted! Honoring 100 Years of a Woman's Right to Vote," which features the image of Rosalie Gardiner Jones, one of Long Island's most noted suffragists. 

 

Brooke Kroeger's new book, The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote, will be the focus of a BOOK & BOTTLE talk on Thursday, November 16, at 6:00 PM.

Members Free; Non-Members $5. Includes wine & cheese and book sale & signing. Space is limited! Call soon to reserve: 631-727-2881 x100.

ABOUT Our PHOTO OF THE WEEK Series

The Suffolk County Historical Society’s PHOTO OF THE WEEK Series is created by head research librarian Wendy Polhemus-Annibell using historic primary source materials from our local history library’s extensive archives. To subscribe, visit our website or send an email request to Wendy at librarian@schs-museum.org 

Interested in seeing more historical documents from the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society? Spend an afternoon at our Local History Research Library perusing our extensive collections. We're open Weds. - Sat., 12:30 - 4:30 PM.

To view our Photo of the Week archives, visit our website at www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org.

 

 

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MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
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The Suffolk County Historical Society, founded in 1886, collects and preserves the rich history of Suffolk County and beyond. We offer a history museum, art galleries, a research library and archives, and a multitude of exhibits, programs, and educational lectures and workshops year-round. Our unique collections reflect more than three centuries of Long Island history. Click here to learn about Member Benefits!

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Copyright © 2017 Suffolk County Historical Society. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic document may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Suffolk County Historical Society.