Women’s demands for political voice did not begin in the nineteenth century, nor did they end with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. From the Revolutionary era forward, women challenged their exclusion from full citizenship and equal representation in government through protest, political organizing, and sustained advocacy. In this panel, Professors McLaughlin and Marino examine how women across generations pressed for political voice, tracing the figures, strategies, and ideologies that shaped the women’s movement from 1776 to 1920. Speakers also consider how race, class, and regional differences influenced the campaign and why, once secured, the vote did not guarantee equal participation in American democracy.

Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Fairfield. $5 suggested donation.

About the Speakers

Jennifer P. McLaughlin is the Executive Director of Student Advising and Success at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT as well as a member of the Sacred Heart history department. She teaches courses on the history of Early America, the American Revolution, African-American history, American Environmental history, and the British Empire. She earned her M.A. in American History and completed her doctoral coursework at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Kelly Marino is an Associate Professor of History and Coordinator of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Sacred Heart University. Her research focuses on women’s rights, education, and social and political activism in modern America. She is the author of Votes for College Women (NYU Press 2024) and the forthcoming Daughters of Democracy (Cambridge University Press).