The Peru Gazette

A message from the National Park Foundation

One hundred years ago today, the 19th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing many women the right to vote. That’s why today has been proclaimed Women’s Equality Day!

Our national parks across the country preserve and share stories of trailblazing women who dared to imagine a different future. The story of the 19th Amendment and the early days of the women’s rights movement can be told in two national parks:

• Women’s Rights National Historical Park comprises four buildings in Seneca Falls, New York, and one in nearby Waterloo. Seneca Falls was home to suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the site of the first women’s rights convention in the U.S., held in 1848.
• Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is a four-story, Federal-style house across the street from the Supreme Court and in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. Alva Belmont was president of the National Woman’s Party when it bought the house to serve as its headquarters in 1929. Alice Paul, founder of the National Woman’s Party, became the de facto leader of the women’s suffrage movement after the deaths of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Once suffrage was achieved, Paul rededicated the National Woman’s Party to the goal of eliminating all discrimination against women.

The National Park Service has its own history of groundbreaking women, from Claire Marie Hodges, who became the first female park ranger in 1918, to Fran Mainella, appointed the first woman to head the National Park Service in 2001.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, it’s time to call on a new generation to recognize the breadth and depth of women’s roles in shaping America. Together, we can continue to support our national parks and park programs that highlight stories of women who made history and continue to shape our future.

Sincerely,

Katherine Chesson Vice President, Programs and Partnerships