ZOOM TALK

In February 1917 voting rights activists were jubilant when the Maine legislature approved the state’s first ever referendum on woman suffrage. The vote was set for September 10th. But even as Maine suffragists prepared their campaign to convince their men that women deserved the vote the country was preparing to enter the war in Europe. The wave of patriotism that followed the US joining the war collided with women’s efforts- in Maine and nationally- to secure voting rights for women. It also gave unprecedented power to local, state, and federal governments to limit free speech and other behavior. There are some interesting parallels to events happening today. This provocative talk is accompanied by historic slides.