NJ Weekend Historical Happenings: 11/9/19 - 11/10/19

 New Jersey Weekend Historical Happenings

A Weekly Feature on www.thehistorygirl.com

Want to submit an event? Use our event submission form.

Saturday, November 9 and 16 - Lambertville, Hunterdon County

From Saigon to Lambertville with Sandy Hanna

On Saturday at 3:00 pm, longtime Lambertville resident Sandy Hanna will discuss living in Vietnam from 1960-1962 and present extraordinary artifacts (vintage Vietnamese clothing, revelatory political documents and miscellanea) and paintings. This special event at Marshall House is based on Sandy's memoir, The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon, published earlier this year. Due to limited space in the Marshall House, RSVP required to info@lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org. The Marshall House is located at 60 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ. Admission to the presentation is free; there is a $5 suggested donation.

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Saturday, November 9 - Princeton, Mercer County

Stony Brook Walking Tour

Before there was a "Princeton," six Quaker families established a community on the fertile ground along Stony Brook. This two-hour hike explores the lives of the early settlers and the community they established, while following a portion of the trail George Washington took from Trenton to the Princeton Battlefield. Stops include the Stony Brook Meeting House and Burial Ground, walking a portion of the "hidden" back road into Princeton, and a view of the Battlefield.

Admission: $5 per person and includes farmhouse museum admission. Tours begin at the Updike Farmstead farmhouse, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton, NJ at 1:00 pm and ends at 3:30 pm. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.

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Saturday, November 9 - Old Bridge, Middlesex County
54th Annual Apple Festival
Children Friendly Event

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Saturday, November 9 - Mount Laurel, Burlington County
Tour Paulsdale & A Conversation with Native American Women

Paulsdale is open to the public for Second Saturday Tours at 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm. Paulsdale is the birthplace of Quaker suffragist Alice Paul. Tours include a 15-minute presentation about Alice Paul's life and work and a guided tour of the first floor of the property where visitors learn about the Paul family's daily life in the house and its present day use as a girl's leadership center. Tours are $10.00 per person.

From 2:00 - 3:00 pm, the Alice Paul Institute will honor Native American Heritage Month with an informative discussion exploring the politics and personal experiences of contemporary Native American identity. Listen in as speakers, Claire Garland of the Sand Hill Indian tribe, and Jesalyn Keziah of the Lumbee Indian tribe, share a meaningful conversation exploring how they each navigate the unique intersections and identities within contemporary Native American life. There will be a Q&A to follow the conversation. Admission to the talk is $10.00 per person or included if you purchase a tour ticket.

Paulsdale is located at 128 Hooton Road, Mount Laurel, NJ. For information about group tours or future tour dates, contact the Alice Paul Institute at 856-231-1885, e-mail info@alicepaul.org, or visit www.alicepaul.org.

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Saturday, November 9 - Farmingdale, Monmouth County
Late Fall Flea Market
Children Friendly Event & Site

Join the Historic Village at Allaire on Saturday for their late fall flea market! Hunt for hidden treasures amid furniture, books, artwork, bottles, knick-knacks, and so much more! The event runs from 8:00 - 3:00 pm. $2 admission for adults and children. The village, General Store, and Bakery will be open as well.  The rain date is Sunday, November 10.

The Historic Village at Allaire is located in Allaire State Park, 4265 Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale, NJ. For more information, contact the Allaire Village office during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, at 732-919-3500 or visit www.allairevillage.org.

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Saturday, November 9 - Holmdel, Monmouth County
Cookstove Demonstration
Children Friendly Site & Event

On Saturday, visit Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel to see what is cooking on the woodstove in the out kitchen. Discover how food, receipts, cooking techniques, and the kitchen itself has changed since the 1890s. This free events run from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Historic Longstreet Farm is located at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ. For more information, call 732-946-3758 or visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.

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Saturday, November 9 - South Bound Brook, Somerset County
Colonial Tavern Night at the Abraham Staats House

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Saturday, November 9 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Cider Making
Children Friendly Event

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but pressing them, peeling them and "stomping" them can be healthy too...as you’ll find by visiting Howell Farm on Saturday.

The techniques used on the Farm to make apple cider, applesauce and apple pie are healthfully reminiscent of those used a century ago, when people - not motors - powered the cranks, handles and other appliances used to process food. From 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, visitors to this 130 acre working farm can sample the work, fun and tastes of a circa-1900 apple harvest.

Visitors of all ages will be invited to use the Farm's old fashioned presses, peeler-corers, and "stomper-strainers" to help the farmers process apples. For the hungry, there will be apple pie and other apple treats.

Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.

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Saturday, November 9 - Morristown, Morris County
Armistice Ball

Celebrating the centennial of the end of World War I, the Metropolitan Vintage Dance & Social Club will hold its Twelfth Annual Armistice Ball on Saturday from 8:00 - 11:00 pm in the historic Great Hall at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 121 South Street, Morristown, NJ. The Metropolitan Club Orchestra will provide hot dance tunes of the early 20th century. A workshop in dances of the era will be held at the Morristown Masonic Center, 39 Maple Avenue, from 2 to 4 that day. Ball tickets are $40 per person in advance or $45 at the door ($20 in advance/$25 at the door with a student ID). They may be purchased online at www.armisticeball.com, where additional information may be found as well.

The Met Club is also sponsoring a Sunday morning tea brunch at the Cosy Cupboard Tea Room in Convent Station at 11:00 am. The cost per person is $34.00 complete, and reservations should be made directly with the Cosy Cupboard at 973-998-6676.

The Metropolitan Club Orchestra consists of renowned jazz musicians from across the country who specialize in the classic sounds of early jazz from the Ragtime and '20s eras. This year's lineup includes Dan Levinson on reeds; Danny Tobias, cornet; Conal Fowkes, bass; Mike Kuehn, banjo; David Boeddinghaus, piano; and Sue Fischer on drums.

At the Saturday afternoon workshop, novices can master the basics of period dances including the one-step, foxtrot, tango, blues, and waltz. It will be led by instructors Jan and Al Seabra of Raritan. The workshop is included in the ticket price.

A ceremony at intermission will honor active military personnel and veterans in attendance. Light refreshments will be served. Attire of the 19-teens or ‘20s, military uniforms, or modern formal or semi-formal dress is requested.

Profits benefit the Thursday Morning Club of Madison. The Thursday Morning Club provides programs and projects that focus on the major issues of our time – supporting women’s health, preserving natural resources, promoting literacy and equality, and encouraging volunteer service – and fall into the following areas of focus: Arts, Conservation, Education, Home Life, International Outreach, and Public Issues. Visit https://thursdaymorningclub.org.

The Metropolitan Vintage Dance & Social Club is a private organization dedicated to keeping alive the social customs, dances, and other pastimes of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Members dance and do living history demonstrations in the styles of the 1860s through 1940s at events throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Its members are primarily from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

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Saturday, November 9 - South Amboy, Middlesex County
Veterans Program in South Amboy

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Saturday, November 9 - Cape May, Cape May County
Welcome to Cape May Trolley Tour

This tour is designed for the first-time visitor to Cape May who wants a quick introduction to the many cultural, historical, and natural attractions on the island. From Cape May Harbor to Sunset Beach, tourgoers will learn all they need to know to make the most of their Cape May visit. Tours begin and end at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.

Adults $15 and children (ages 3-12) $8. Tour on Saturday at 12:30 pm. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, November 9 - 10 - Cape May, Cape May County
Cape May Historic District Trolley Tour

Enjoy a 45 minute guided tour with entertaining and enlightening stories about the nation's oldest seaside resort and how it survived. Accessible trolley available with advance notification. Tours begin and end at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth.

Adults $15 and children (ages 3-12) $8. Tours on Saturday at 11:45 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:15 pm. Tours on Sunday at 11:45 am and 1:00 pm. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, November 9 - 10 - Lower Township, Cape May County
Climb the Cape May Lighthouse
Family Friendly Site

On Saturday, the Cape May Lighthouse, Oil House and Museum Shop reopens for the season. The lighthouse is an 1859 structure with 199 steps to the watch gallery for a panoramic view of the Jersey Cape and Atlantic Ocean. For those who choose not to climb, the Oil House contains a fully-accessible Visitors' Orientation Center and a Museum Shop stocked with maritime accessories and lighthouse memorabilia. Open 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Cape May Point State Park is located in Lower Township, NJ. Admission to the Visitors' Orientation Center and the ground floor of the lighthouse is free. Tower admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children (ages 3-12). Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, November 9 - 10 - Cape May, Cape May County
Emlen Physick Estate Tour
Family Friendly Tour

Take a guided tour of Cape May's Emlen Physick Estate, the magnificent Stick Style mansion attributed to renowned Victorian architect Frank Furness. A tour of the 15 beautifully restored rooms gives you a glimpse into the lifestyle of this Victorian-era Cape May family. Physick Estate Tours take approximately 45 minutes and end with a visit to the 1876 Carriage House where you can see the current exhibit in the Carroll Gallery. On Saturday, tours will start at 12:30, 1:45, and 3:00 pm. On Sunday, the tours start at 12:30 and 1:45 pm. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children (ages 3-12). Tickets can be purchased at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, November 9 - 10 - Teterboro, Bergen County
Open Cockpit Weekend - Last of the Year
Children Friendly Event

The Aviation Hall of Fame announces an “Open Cockpit Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm each day. Visitors can check out the cockpits of some of our extraordinary aircraft, including a very rare Lockheed bush plane, a “M*A*S*H” Bell-47 helicopter, the world’s last remaining Martin 202 airliner, a TWA Convair 880 jetliner circa 1959, and sit in the cab of an airport fire truck.

People, young and old can learn how the flight systems work. Qualified pilots will help guests understand the instruments and controls of these special aircraft.

Admission: $12.00 adults, $9.00 seniors and children under 12, 2 and under are free.

Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State's distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. The men and women, whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought worldwide recognition to the state, are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey is located at 400 Fred Wehran Drive, Teterboro, NJ. For more information, call 201-288-6344 or visit www.njahof.org.

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Saturdays and Sundays through December 1 - Paterson, Passaic County
32nd Annual Lambert Castle Holiday Boutique

Through December 1, Lambert Castle, home of the Passaic County Historical Society will present the 32nd annual Lambert Castle Holiday Boutique. Open Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, the boutique invites you to enjoy shopping for this year's assortment of festive holiday gifts, jewelry, seasonal decorations, crafts, collectibles, and gourmet food in the historic atmosphere and ambiance of Lambert Castle.

Admission to the show is $6. All admission fees include two return visits. Children under 12 years are admitted free of charge. No child strollers or carriages are permitted inside the Castle. Visa and Mastercard are accepted for purchases. The café will return to the third floor serving a variety of soups, sandwiches, as well as hot and cold drinks. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Passaic County Historical Society.

The Passaic County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was founded to cultivate interest among individuals and the community-at-large in the rich history of Passaic County. To this end our museum in Lambert Castle showcases examples of the County's cultural and artistic diversity, as well as examples of the County's natural, civil, military, and ecclesiastical history. The Society also maintains a library and archive, which houses manuscripts, books and photographs of historical and genealogical interest.

Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson NJ. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.

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Sunday, November 10 - Princeton, Mercer County
Historic Princeton Walking Tour
Children Friendly Tour

Enjoy a 1.9 mile, two-hour walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Bainbridge House, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, and Palmer Square. The early history of Princeton, the founding of the University, and the American Revolution are just some of the stories from Princeton’s history that you will learn on your tour.

Admission: $7 per adult; $4 children ages 6 to 12; free for children age 5 and under. Tours begin in front of the Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Walk up ticket sales are cash only; guides cannot provide change. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.

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Sunday, November 10 - Flemington, Hunterdon County
Celebrate Women's History

Celebrate women’s history and the coming centennial of women’s right to vote with the Hunterdon County Historical Society at its annual Fall meeting and lecture on Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Flemington Presbyterian Church in Flemington, NJ. Andrea Tingey, Historic Preservation Specialist with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office, will present a pictorial journey through the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.

Ms. Tingey’s lecture will explore the Heritage Trail that defines many of the contributions made by notable women in New Jersey to history, science, religion, sports and business and the tangible legacies they left behind. The culmination of this rich history was first published by the NJ Office of Historic Preservation in 2004.

The illustrated lecture covering the women’s heritage trail and upcoming events planned for the women’s right to vote centennial in 2020 will last about 45 minutes, followed by questions. Refreshments will be served. For more information, visit www.hunterdonhistory.org.

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Sunday, November 10 - West Orange, Essex County
Harry's Magical Invention Bag
Children Friendly Event

Learn about invention and the important role Edison played in taking invention from a cottage/hobby activity to a full commercial activity - practiced by all major corporations. Hear Harry Roman as he discusses the major role New Jersey plays in the national invention scene-and all the great inventions New Jersey inventors have brought into our world.

Harry, a nationally known inventor, was a critical player in establishing the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 1989, and later went on to chair the organization from 1996-2004. The Hall of Fame honored him with an Inventor of the Year award in 2005 for his pioneering work in robotics, and honored him again in 2012 with a special achievement award for his dedication to the organization.

The program, held from 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 3:00 - 4:00 pm, is included with regular admission. Tickets must be purchased at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park Laboratory Complex Visitor Center at 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ. Admission is $15.00 per person and includes the Glenmont Estate and the Laboratory Complex. Children under age 16 are free. For more information, call 973-736-0550 x11 or visit www.nps.gov/edis.

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Sunday, November 10 - Westfield, Union County
Final Respects - 18th Century Funeral Customs

Death was ever-present in early America. Disease, epidemics, accidents, childbirth – all took their endless toll. Then, as now, burial and funeral rituals served to honor the dead and comfort the living. The museum’s program will take a look at 18th century funeral practices; included are a presentation and an artifact display.

Tours of the restored, fully furnished farmhouse, built in 1740, and demonstrations of early American open-hearth cooking are included. Admission is $5 ages 13 and older; $3 ages 3-12 and free age 2 and younger. No reservations are necessary. The Miller-Cory House Museum is located at 614 Mountain Avenue, Westfield, NJ. For more information, call 908-232-1776, e-mail millercorymuseum@gmail.com, or visit www.millercoryhouse.com.

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Sunday, November 10 - Sandy Hook, Monmouth County
Nike Missile Radar Site Tours

Guided tours of the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) site will allow you to see the inner workings of the facility where supersonic nuclear armed Nike Hercules missiles were controlled and guided using Cold War era computers and radars. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the veterans who actually worked on the Nike Air Defense System. Free tours from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Meet at Horseshoe Cove, Parking Lot L on Sandy Hook, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. For more information, call 732-872-5970 or visit www.nps.gov/gate.

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Sunday, November 10 - Bridgewater, Somerset County
"George Washington: Miracles from My Life"

Join the Heritage Trail Association on Sunday at 2:00 pm, for a presentation entitled, "George Washington: Miracles from My Life," by renowned interpreter Sam Davis! Mr Davis will show a series of seven deeply improbable miracles that shaped Washington's career, from wars in the Colonial era through to his Presidency.

1. The Battle of the Monongahela and the prophecy of the Indian chief.
2. Falling into the Allegheny River and being shot at point blank by a Native American and surviving.
3. Colonel Knox bringing 60 tons of cannon 300 miles from Ticonderoga, New York to Boston.
4. The nor’easter that occurred before the Battle of Trenton.
5. The frost that made the ground like cement after the second Battle of Trenton.
6. The Battle of Princeton.
7. How Martha Washington saved the Revolution.

Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased by clicking here.

The event will be held at the historic Van Horne House, 941 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ. Doors open at 1:45 pm and the event will begin at 2:00 pm. General parking is available in the back of the Target store in the Bridgewater Promenade shopping center (200 Promenade Way). For more information, visit www.heritagetrail.org.

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Sunday, November 10 - Jefferson Township, Morris County
New Jersey Glass: Earth, Wind, and Fire

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Through November 11, 2019 - Woodbury, Gloucester County
War to End Wars: Centennial of WWI & Veterans’ Day

War to End Wars: Centennial of WWI & Veterans’ Day, our new exhibit at the Gloucester County Historical Society Museum, honors the centennial of World War I and its veterans.  Come view uniforms worn by local, youthful doughboys as well as original liberty bond and enlistment posters carefully preserved by our librarians for over one hundred years! The exhibit also honors veterans of all wars since World War I as Americans now celebrate the day the war ended as Veterans’ Day. The exhibit is now open and will run through Veterans’ Day. The exhibit will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The museum is also open on the last Sunday of each month September through April from 2:00 - 5:00 pm as well as Saturdays April 6 and May 4 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Please visit www.gchsnj.org for further details. The Gloucester County Historical Society Museum is located at 58 N. Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ. For more information, call 856-848-8531 or visit www.gchsnj.org.

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Through December 2019 - Ridgewood, Bergen County
Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions

Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue. Tossing the bouquet. Bride and Groom cake toppers. Putting a sixpence in your shoe. Where did these traditions originate? Why do we still honor them today? Please join us as we walk down the aisle and trace the history of Ridgewood’s wedding traditions.

The Schoolhouse Museum celebrates the opening of its current featured exhibit “Here Comes The Bride - Chronicling Two Hundred Years of Wedding Customs & Traditions.” This new exhibit features items dating from 1789-1989, showcasing many beautiful wedding gowns from the museum's collection - some of which have never been on exhibit before.

While at the museum, see the curio cabinet exhibit “50 Small Things with Big Histories.” The exhibits are open until December 2019 and are free to the public with donations suggested at the door. Museum hours are Thursdays and Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm and Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

The Schoolhouse Museum is a historic one-room schoolhouse in Ridgewood, New Jersey, originally built in 1872, that has been turned into a gallery space which now houses the Ridgewood Historical Society. Entirely volunteer-run, the non-profit Historical Society presents annual exhibits, events and workshops in a community that values education, family and local and national history. The museum is located at 650 E Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.

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Through Sunday, January 5, 2020 - Parsippany, Morris County
The American Arts and Crafts Chair: “A Message of Honesty and Joy”

The exhibition will feature thirteen exemplary examples of side chairs by handicraft-oriented furniture manufacturers--among them Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Workshops, the L&JG Stickley Company, the Charles P. Limbert Company--as well as smaller, craft-oriented workshops such as Charles Rohlfs, the Roycroft Shops, Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, and Rose Valley Association. The exhibition will explore the usefulness and appealing designs of these vital products of the American Arts and Crafts movement and show how these chairs brought a message of honesty and joy to their makers and their possessors. Guest curator is David Cathers. 

On view from: Saturday, June 1, 2019 to Sunday, January 5, 2020. Thursdays through Sundays 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. Admission varies depending on the type of tour. Free to Members. Craftsman Farms is located at 2352 Route 10 West, Morris Plains, NJ. For more information, call 973-540-0311, email info@stickleymuseum.org, or visit www.stickleymuseum.org.

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Through June 28, 2020 - Trenton, Mercer County
Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure

The New Jersey State Museum is hosting  Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure from through June 28, 2020 in the 1st floor East Gallery. The exhibit features images which capture the quiet beauty and intimate landscapes of New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve by photographer Albert Horner, and artifacts from the NJ State Museum’s collections which tell just some of the stories of the land, animals, people, and industries that make the Reserve a state and national treasure. Horner, a self-taught photographer from Medford Lakes, brings curiosity, reverence and a practiced eye to his craft, recording the forests, cedar swamps, meandering waterways and native wildflowers that make the Pinelands unique. In addition to being home to rare plant and animal species, the Reserve also contains archaeological sites and a vibrant cultural history of craftspeople, industry and agriculture.

The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm. It is closed Mondays and on state holidays. The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. For more information, 609-292-6300 or visit www.state.nj.us/state/museum/index.html.

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Through June 28, 2020 -  Piscataway, Middlesex County
Mid-Century New Jersey Exhibit

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Through 2020 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County

"Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage"

When the Founders crafted the U.S. Constitution, they gave the authority to decide who could vote to the states. All but one decided it would be men—white, property-owning men, 21 years old and older.

The one exception was New Jersey. For the first few decades of our new nation, property-owning women in New Jersey could vote. But in 1807, state legislators took a step backward and rescinded the right. New Jersey women joined their sisters across the country who were shut off from the ballot.

The new exhibit, “Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage” opening in the Woolley House, Sunday, tells of the remarkable campaign waged by women across the country to gain (and for New Jersey women, to regain) the vote.

The Start of a Movement
Most historians mark the start of the American suffrage movement from the 1848 Women’s Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Both women had discovered their political voice fighting for the abolition of slavery. Both had felt the sting of being shut out by male-dominated leadership. They were outraged, frustrated, and ready to take on the status quo. 

The status quo at the time was a sorry mess for women. Not only were they barred from public speaking and leadership positions, but married women could not own property, keep their own wages, or enter into any legal contract. Women were shut out of most professions. Divorce was near impossible, even in cases of abuse. A woman’s place was in the home—often an inherited home whose title had been ceded to her husband.

In 1851, three years after the Seneca Falls conference, Elizabeth Cady Stanton met Susan B. Anthony. Though strikingly unlike in appearance and temperament, they became lifelong friends. Together, they made a formidable team that reigned for more than 50 years as the iconic leaders of the suffrage movement.

Anthony and Stanton travelled the country making speeches and gathering support. When Stanton, mother of seven, cut back on travel, she stayed hard a work—writing Anthony’s speeches, organizing supporters, even rewriting the Bible from a feminist perspective.

Both women were bitterly disappointed when Congress refused, following the Civil War, to expand the language of the 15th Amendment to bar discrimination in voting based on both race and sex. Their outrage generated harsh statements from these former abolitionists that created a lasting racial rift among suffragists.

Anthony and Stanton did not give up. In 1878, they pushed for a 16th Amendment to guarantee women the right to vote. The “Susan B. Anthony Amendment,” as it became known, failed in this first attempt and was introduced anew to each session of Congress for the next 42 years! The (by then) 19th Amendment, granting women’s suffrage, was finally ratified in 1920.

They Didn’t Live to see It
Neither Stanton nor Anthony lived to see passage. Their efforts fell short of their goals. But the inroads they gained, the organizations they created, and the national awareness they built set the stage for the next generation—the early 20th century activists who carried the campaign for women’s suffrage to victory.

The Second Wave
Among this second wave of suffragists were the daughters of Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott—and newcomers, including Carrie Chapman Catt and New Jersey native Alice Paul. Catt and Paul were rivals. Their strategies and styles were at odds. Catt favored local campaigns to change state voting laws. She thought militant demonstration unpatriotic after the U.S. entered World War I in 1917.

In contrast, Paul took the fight for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to President Wilson’s doorstep. She lead an 18-month long picketing campaign at the gates to the White House. She welcomed arrest and used the mistreatment of imprisioned suffragists to build public sympathy. Faced with a public relations nightmare, Wilson gave in and threw his support in favor of the federal amendment.

Passage of the Anthony Amendment was “the greatest expansion of democracy on a single day the world had ever seen” (Eleanor Clift, Founding Sisters).

The Township of Ocean Historical Museum, founded in 1984, is a member-supported, non-profit organization. Its headquarters, the Eden Woolley House, is one of the few 18th century structures still in existence in the Township and is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (1:00 - 4:00 pm), Thursday evenings (7:00 - 9:00 pm - March 15 through December 15 each year) and the first and second Sundays of each month (1:00 - 4:00 pm). The Museum also maintains a library and archive, which houses manuscripts, books, and photographs of historical and genealogical interest. For more information, call 732-531-2136 or visit www.OceanMuseum.org.

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey