Massachusetts Women's History Center

Women's History, Everyone's Future

We amplify the history of the struggle for women’s rights to inspire greater civic participation to secure equity for all.

Massachusetts Women’s Hall of Fame coming soon!

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Day trip to see SUFFS, the Musical!

Sunday, November 17, 2024

A regiment of women in uniform (white or pale clothes and a dark sash) carrying staffs and marching in formation in a suffrage parade. Crowds look on from both sidewalks.

Exhibit

Savvy Strategists & Innovative Advocates: The Story of Massachusetts’ Suffragists

The innovative political strategies and determined organizing of Massachusetts' suffragists offer a window into the historic effort to enfranchise American women. Massachusetts was both the site of the first-ever national woman’s rights convention and the birthplace of the anti-suffrage movement. Commonwealth suffragists experienced triumphs and setbacks that mirrored the broader campaign taking place all across the country.

Swimmer Jenny Thompson racing the butterfly at the 2004 Olympcs

Exhibit

Massachusetts Women in the Olympics: A Century of Excellence

Since 1928, Massachusetts women have showcased their remarkable athletic skill at the Olympic Games. From track and field and swimming, to figure skating and ice hockey, to wheelchair racing and para-rowing, Bay State women have excelled on the highest stage in the sports world and continue to reach new heights.

I prefer not to argue about a woman’s rights, but to take them… I do not talk of woman’s rights, but of human rights, the rights of human beings. I do not come to ask [for] them, but to demand them; not to get down on my knees and beg for them, but to claim them.

Abby Kelley Foster, 1850 National Women's Rights Convention

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We need your help to develop and sustain the Massachusetts Women’s History Center and our flagship program, the Massachusetts Women’s Hall of Fame! Join us as a donor or visit our online shop to help us keep marching forward.