S01 E01 What is the National Votes for Women Trail?

In this episode, CM Marihugh gives an overview of how the stories of the women’s suffrage movement are represented in the National Votes for Women Trail (NVWT), which is a project of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (NCWHS). We talk with Ida Jones about the NCWHS vision. We also ask Pam Elam and Mary Melcher about their work that grew to become the NVWT.

We talk about the NVWT stories of the foot soldiers in the 70-plus year U.S. women’s suffrage campaign:

• The women’s suffrage political struggle resulted in the largest one-time increase in the elective franchise when 27 million citizens joined the ranks of America's representative democracy.
• The NVWT tells the stories of this movement and cuts across the lines of geography, race, ethnicity, class, and gender. The Trail currently has over 2,400 sites across the country. 
• Ida Jones is co-president of the NCWHS which advocates for historic sites that center the preservation and interpretation of the critical role of women and gender nonconforming individuals as core to the American story. 
• Pam Elam and Mary Melcher created an idea for a national trail back in 2008 while serving on the board of NCWHS. Later, others including Marsha Weinstein and Nancy Brown took up the idea and developed the NVWT to where it is today.
• Pam Elam is president of Monumental Women which seeks to increase awareness and appreciation of women’s history through a nationwide education campaign. The organization challenges municipalities across the country and the world to rethink the past and reshape the future by including tributes in their public spaces to the diverse women who helped create and inspire those cities.
• Mary Melcher is Board Secretary of the Arizona Women’s History Alliance– dedicated to expanding understanding and preservation of Arizona women's history.
• The NVWT is an ongoing project. Contact us below to get involved.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

In this episode Ida Jones, NCWHS co-president, talks about the organization’s vision and work. Pam Elam is president of Monumental Women working to increase awareness and appreciation of women’s history. Mary Melcher is board secretary of the Arizona Women’s History Alliance which works to expand appreciation and preservation of Arizona women’s history.

Links to People, Places, Publications

• National Votes for Women Trail (here)
• National Votes for Women Trail - William G. Pomeroy historical markers (here)
• National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (here)
• Historical Marker Database (here)
• Monumental Women (here)
• Arizona Women’s History Alliance (here)

CM Marihugh is a public history consultant and currently conducting independent research for a book on commemoration of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement. She has an M.A. in Public History from State University of New York, and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Learn more about:

• National Votes for Women Trail (here)
• National Votes for Women Trail - William G. Pomeroy historical markers (here)
• National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (here)

Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion? Get in touch! Send an e-mail to NVWTpodcast@ncwhs.org

Transcript

SPEAKERS

CM Marihugh, Pam Elam, Earth Mama, Ida Jones, Mary Melcher

CM Marihugh  00:00

Welcome to Her March to Democracy where we're telling stories along The National Votes For Women Trail. The trail chronicles the fight for voting rights for women. The Suffragists or Suffs, as they were called, were the revolutionaries of their day and they battled the powers that be. These foot soldiers cut across the lines of geography, race, ethnicity, class, and gender, and numbered in the many 1000s over 70 plus years.

Earth Mama  00:36

We are standing on the shoulders 
Of the ones who came before us, 
They are safe, and they are humans. 
They are angels, they are friends. 

We can see beyond the struggles 
And the troubles and the challenge 
When we know that by our efforts 
Things will be better in the end.

CM Marihugh  01:09

Each episode is a tour on the trail to the places of struggle. The cities, the towns, where wins and defeats happened over and over again. Our theme music is "Standing On The Shoulders" by Joyce Johnson Rouse and recorded by Earth Mama. Join us on our travels to hear the stories along The National Votes For Women Trail. They marched, they rode, they walked, they strategized, they planned, they advised, they lectured, they talked, they wrote, they asked, they demanded, they bruised, they bled, they mourned. 

Year after year, decade after decade, they won one battle and then lost another. They gained some ground and then lost it again. They tired but fought on and finally they cheered. This podcast is about American democracy. It's about the grassroots struggle of millions of revolutionaries that fought for a voice, fought for a vote. As the US approaches its 250th anniversary of independence, it's time to hear more about the long fight. Imagine that half of the population in America did not have a say in their government for almost 150 years after 1776. 

This political struggle resulted in the largest one time increase in the elective franchise, when about 27 million citizens finally became eligible to vote. We don't talk enough about the people that fought this fight for over 70 years. Their determination and courage, their persistence, their brilliance, their heroism. The National Votes For Women Trail tells the stories of this movement. The trail is an ongoing project and currently has over 2400 sites across the country. 

Each site tells stories of how activists, revolutionaries did battle. We're going to highlight many stories in this show, because it's the stories that show us the caliber of these remarkable heroes. The National Votes For Women Trail is a project of the nonprofit organization National Collaborative For Women's History Sites, or The Collaborative for short. It has worked for over 20 years to put women's history on the map. 

In this first episode, we'll learn about the collaborative, and then talk with the historians that planted the seed that grew into The National Votes For Women Trail. I spoke with Ida Jones about the collaborative's mission. We are going to talk now about the organization that took on the project of the National Votes For Women Trail. And that organization is the National Collaborative For Women's History Sites. 

I welcome Ida Jones, who is currently co president of the collaborative, and she serves as the DC coordinator for the National Votes For Women Trail. Ida is an archivist and historian stewarding the legacy of African American women organizations and communities. Ida, could we start by asking you about the beginnings of the collaborative when that was and what were the reasons for its founding?

Ida Jones  04:33

Surely, yes we can. Good afternoon. The National Collaborative For Women's History Sites was created in October of 2001 by representatives of more than 20 historically organized sites that were linked to American women's history and 20 other organizations that were doing women's history. 

So the idea that Dr. Heather Huyck had, as a National Park Service employee is "Where are the women?" Half of the narrative in our American story is missing in terms of its collective historically stewarded sites. So there was a galvanizing in 2001, to start to put some voice to that and put some sites to that.

CM Marihugh  05:15

So we're talking about, for example, National Park History Sites, where there would be tours, and so little mention was made of any women's involvement in the history.

Ida Jones  05:29

Yes, there were Women's History sites prior to 2001. I want to kind of clarify that. But to put that on par with the national story, that seemingly piece of the thread was not at the beginning. It's always in the shadows, or the wife or daughter of. But in fact, there were great women who were in relationships, as well as individuals and organizations that did historic work that built our democracy. 

And those stories needed to be on par with those other national stories of the great men, our great politicians and businesspersons. Since its founding, the National Collaborative continues to advocate for historical sites, and also centers itself on the idea of preservation and interpretation. We have recently had a discussion in regards to thinking about how we'd like to apprentice young women to come into these fields of work. That there are careers in history, preservation, conservation, interpretation, and education that are outside of the clash with the Academy. 

So it's a full court press on all things that are female in terms of seeing that voice added to the narrative, those persons added to the iconography, as well as those sites added to the full telling of the experience of the American life. And we've also added to that effect, women of color, transgendered women and women have different orientations, as well as those who are physically challenged. 

So we're looking at the Native American woman, the African, the Asian, the Jewish, the Catholic, all other aspects of what womanhood looks like. So it's not just one narrative, because there is a multiplicity of voices, and there's diversity within even subgroups. So the idea is to add those stories as Americans stories. 

CM Marihugh  07:12

So it really seems like you are a catalyst to bring many different partners together. What would you say have been some of the most notable accomplishments of the collaborative?

Ida Jones  07:24

The Pauli Murray, National Historic Landmark designation, the National Collaborative was very much invested in the life of this rather ubiquitous Episcopalian African American, androgynous minister. And so she really captivated us and she's a woman's voice in all these faces, and yet seemingly somewhat unknown. So I know there was a great effort to kind of resurrect her life and situate her accordingly. And The Collaborative was very instrumental in that. 

And as you've done the research CM, you're aware that her life has taken on magnificent proportions. In terms of a documentary that has been done about her, as well as a publication that just came out, I believe a book just came out about her as well a year or two ago, and her family members also are interested. It is a niece, that done a great work on her as well. So The Collaborative was somewhat prognosticating the idea of where women's voices fit in. Because politically, maybe 20 or 30 years ago, she might not have been, "the respectable first step in thinking about", because we deal with issues of respectability. 

And so we're finding a great deal of where there are persons who are African American, or of some ethnic group might have been bisexual or androgynous or what have you. So now we're seeing them as female voices, and their female voices being expressed in a certain way that does not negate or elevate it, it just makes it relevant to telling the American story. So the Pauli Murray, National Historic Landmark designation was very instrumental in that effort. 

And just in closing out, I would love to share the mission and the vision statement of The Collaborative. So we don't seem so woman focused, although we are focusing on women's voices, our mission, The National Collaborative of Women's History sites, advocates for historic sites that center the preservation and interpretation of the important role of women and gender nonconforming individuals as core to the American story, our vision, we envision a world in which historic sites are equitable, just and inclusive of women and gender non conforming people, that these sites are valued, visited, and well resourced. So this is an olive branch to extend to our allies and all communities to join us as we seek to really have an equitable history understanding an equitable future for all persons.

CM Marihugh  09:48

Thank you, Ida for being with us today.

Ida Jones  09:51

Thank you so much.

CM Marihugh  09:52

So The Collaborative looks for innovative ways to tell the whole story of our collective history in 2008, 2 Historians joined the board and began to notice a trend. They saw increasing numbers of advocates creating state and local trails. To mark historical events that were not included in our national story. I invited these historians to talk about the beginnings of what came to be The National Votes for Women Trail. 

Pam Elam and Mary Melcher have worked to promote women's history for decades. Pam Elam is president of Monumental Women, which is an all volunteer not for profit group dedicated to challenging cities and states to reimagine their public spaces to honor the diverse women who helped make them great, as well as to create educational programs to share information about women's history. Monumental Women, is the organization that brought the Woman's Rights Pioneers Monument to New York City's Central Park that was dedicated in 2020. 

It is the first statue to honor real women, as opposed to symbolic figures in the 167 year history of Central Park. The monument features the American heroes Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Mary Melcher is a public historian, and the board secretary of the Arizona Women's History Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding awareness and preservation of Arizona women's history. Mary was the historian of the Arizona Women's Heritage Trail, which created Women's History trails, and a traveling exhibit featuring Arizona women from all ethnic groups and walks of life. 

Both women worked extensively with the National Collaborative, as board members and Pam also served as vice president. Let's hear them talk about how the whole idea started of a National Trail about the Votes For Women campaign. Mary, you have mentioned that you and Pam wrote an article for the National Collaborative For Women's History Sites newsletter in 2009. Can you tell us what prompted that article and what was the main message?

Mary Melcher  12:21

Pam and I joined the National Collaborative For Women's History Sites board in 2008. And we became acquainted and found out through board meetings that we're both working on women's history trails in our respective states and preparing the city. I was working on the Arizona Women's Heritage Trail in Arizona, and Pam had developed a map and brochure with dozens of women's history sites in the New York City area. So we knew we were working on these projects. 

And we did some research and we found out that women were doing similar projects all over the country. There were seven statewide Women's History trails that have been developed by 2009. And there were numerous city trails, and they were very geographically diverse. They went from Maine to Arizona, from Boston, New York, to Washington State. 

So we were very curious about, you know, this "trails movement", we called it, and we wrote an article called "Sharing Her Stories: A National Movement to Link Women's History with Historic Sites", put up on the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites newsletter- uh, website, and published in the newsletter. And it disscusses all these different trails around the country.

Pam Elam  13:42

Mary and I were very excited when we did our own research. And I- this is my map, it was, you know, kind of hard to cover as they say map of- Women's Rights, Historic Sites: A Manhattan Map of Milestones. So I was jazzed after I did that back in 2008. So long story short, now was the time for us to learn from each other to get together, our representatives from all of the places that either had or wanted to have maps or some sort of continuum of sites. 

So it was an effort that started literally right after our article appeared in our first meeting was in May of 2009 for the women's Heritage Committee of the National Collaborative. And Mary and I went on for years with that, and actually found a lot of fascinating projects underway and we could all learn from each other and celebrate the accomplishment but also push it literally down the road a little bit by encouragement then also collaboration.

CM Marihugh  15:00

 So a lot of best practices sharing and partnering and I'm wondering, Pam, after you wrote the article, what did you think about how you would fund the project?

Pam Elam  15:16

Well, as feminists always know, there's never any money for your project. So you start off just trying to get the information together and the kindred spirits together, and then talk about ideas for funding sources. At the time, there was all- an act in Congress. And Representative Louise Slaughter in New York was focused on a section of that act that would provide about $125,000 for a roadmap upstate in New York that covered the Seneca Falls area. Of course, that money never came through. But it was something to use as a model. 

And then when we learned that valid efforts in other states, for example, Washington State, they got some funding from the government there. And we were all just sharing ideas. Of course, you know, we've been in the effort for women's rights for decades and decades, and we knew that it was going to be a heavy lift to try and get money to actually fund things. But you know, we're, we're used to doing a lot with a little money. So we went on, on that. 

And we- Mary can speak to the grant that we put together, that a national framework. But you know, unfortunately, when you don't get the grant, or the Congress doesn't pass the legislation that actually has an appropriation, you are on your own. And, sadly, we're used to that. But that doesn't stop us at all.

CM Marihugh  16:57

Mary, would you tell us about the grant proposal you put together?

Mary Melcher  17:01

So, this trails committee began meeting in 2009, as Pam said, and we submitted a grant proposal in 2012. And we had a lot of people participating from all over the country. We were backed by the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites. The trails committee was part of the National Collaborative. 

And we submitted it through the National Endowment for the Humanities, it was a planning grant in the category of America's Historical and Cultural Places. And it was a huge amount of work to put it together. We had scholars, we had humanities content, we had all of these plans laid out. So we tried our hardest, but they did not fund it.

Pam Elam  17:44

So we we just continued on. And the folks who joined the committee and the folks who continually shared ideas, suggestions, supported each other in terms of publicizing good projects and things that were exciting. And we focused in on the celebration to be held in 2020, for the 100th anniversary of the ratification and certification of the 19th Votes For Women Amendment to the Constitution. 

So states were beginning to celebrate in their own ways, when their own state adopted the amendment. When you don't have money, you have to be extra creative. So we were pretty creative, and we got things rolling. And of course, all of that work led to the extraordinary National Votes For Women Trail that exists now that Marcia and Nancy carried the torch the final away. So a happy ending, a lot of hard work, but very little money.

Mary Melcher  18:51

Maybe one of the most important things we did was to bring together all those people, because they did stay involved. And they did build on ideas that we started. So people carried it on. 

CM Marihugh  19:04

Going back to the trails committee, who was on that?

CM Marihugh  19:08

You've both seen where the project is today. And of course, there has been a ton of work to get it where it is. And I wondered what are each of your thoughts on on what it's become?

Pam Elam  19:08

We had folks who were historians who work independently authors of historical material, representatives of Women's History Sites, and also Women's History organizations. You know, it was a rather large list, but it was something that really benefited everybody, whether you were in a muse-, you know, representing a museum or you're representing a site or an organization. 

You know, it was a rather large list of folks who all share the same goal even though they might approach it from different directions or different entities. But you know, it was it was wonderful, just hearing about what was happening and other places and get that energy from it and Mary and I supplied the spark plug, but then once the engine got running, it was all, all excitement all the way.

Mary Melcher  20:20

Yeah, it's really exciting. I mean, I was so happy to see the funding from the Pomeroy Foundation to create those markers all over the country. And then the the map online had 2400 sites, it's just really exciting. It's a wonderful resource.

Pam Elam  20:36

What extraordinary work led to now such a wonderful resource for people, accessible and, you know, inspiring. So I just give a shout out to all the folks who completed the journey and are coming up no doubt with good ideas for carrying on the work. Now, with new technology. 

As I mentioned, there are so many possibilities now that didn't exist back then, to expand the knowledge base that we all benefit from and focus in on the diversity of women whose names we didn't know, should have known, you know, now know, thanks to that work. But you know, all of the women whose names we'll never know, no matter how hard all of us work, you know, it's got to be, for me at least, a constant way of remembering them, even though I may not know their names. They're always at my heart.

CM Marihugh  21:39

I think another aspect too, is that it shows the doggedness of these activists, you know, it's showing the steps and how much work it was, which this movement hasn't been acknowledged enough for.

Mary Melcher  21:57

Yeah, in Arizona, women finally got the vote through an initiative measure. And that's after we became a state in 1912. The Constitution allowed people to use the initiative. And women had tried and tried and tried for 15 years to get it through the legislature or through the Constitutional Convention when Arizona became a state and failed. 

So as soon as Arizona became a state, Frances, Munns and the other suffragists decided that they try to put an initiative on the ballot. They did it that November, and they got 66% of the male voters to vote in favor of it. Because Munns was such an excellent politician she could give to Democrats and Republicans, the progressives, the miners, all these people, farmers to vote for women's suffrage.

CM Marihugh  22:47

Thank you both very much. So after the work of Pam and Mary, others took up the torch as they mentioned, two key leaders were Marsha Weinstein and Nancy Brown, both on the board of The Collaborative and still involved with the trail. 

During the initial phase, they set up a trail committee with a group of academic advisors. The tasks included building a digital platform with a database that would contain information on events of The Suffrage Movement. That committee then used a crowdsourcing model, asking Women's History enthusiasts, both professionals and interested citizens to find local stories of suffragists and suffrage events. Many of these stories were found in period newspapers, suffrage newsletters, archives, and government publications. 

These stories show the breadth of this grassroots movement over 70 plus years. The collective history showed that women's suffrage was a national effort of many 1000s of people cutting across all segments of society. It was part of the ongoing struggle for representation for voting rights for all US citizens. In this struggle, the activist faced much more than polite condescension, they were systematically confronted on the public stage, with ridicule, derision, humiliation, betrayal and violence. 

Like so many social change movements, the campaign was not perfect. There was racism and classism inside the movement as well as in society. There was political expediency and compromise, leading to deep disappointment and distrust. But in spite of all this activists fought on. This podcast is about that fight, bringing to light the stories of women and men that fought in this "lower case R" revolutionary war. 

Their crusade must be recognized as fundamental to creating a more perfect union. And we should ask ourselves why we don't celebrate it enough. We hope the stories along The National Votes For Women Trail will help us do that. Thank you for joining us this week. We hope you'll contact us with comments or questions. 

The National Votes For Women Trail Project is a work in progress. Please click on the support the project link to contribute to our ongoing work. The trail is a project of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting women's history on the map. Our theme is Standing On The Shoulders by Joyce Johnson Rouse and recorded by Earth Mama. Be sure to join us next time.

Earth Mama  25:44

I'm standing on the shoulders 
Of the ones who came before me. 
I am honored by their passion 
For our liberty. 

I will stand a little taller. 
I will work a little longer. 
And my shoulders will be there to hold
The ones who follow me. 

My shoulders will be there to hold 
The ones who follow me!