Preservation Maryland was invited to present a brief history of Maryland’s Suffrage Movement as part of the organization’s multi-year Six-to-Fix initiative to bring one the most important – but overlooked – civil rights movements in Maryland and America to light.

On August 21, 2020, 100 years to the month of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Preservation Maryland’s Director of Communications, Meagan Baco, presented a virtual history lecture titled, “Faces and Places of Maryland’s Suffrage Movement.” The online event was hosted by AIA Baltimore, Baltimore Architecture Foundation, and Baltimore Heritage. Since Covid-19 has left many Marylanders homebound, these three Baltimore-based organization have teamed up to bring more and more of their programming online, including their Virtual Histories series – now 15 weeks running featuring an array of topics and presenters.

Watch the Virtual History Talk: 

More History Videos on YouTube

The presentation is an amuse-bouche of the larger statewide approach taken by Preservation Maryland. With funding from and in partnership with the Maryland Historical Trust, Preservation Maryland has used its 21th-century tools and an inclusive historic approach to elevate the complex history of Maryland’s suffragists and their lasting legacy on equality in the United States. This includes acknowledging and creating opportunities for discussion around the racial and gendered politics of the time – and their reluctant hold on American politics.

Preservation Maryland’s work, and the recent presentation, has centered on a multi-media online exhibit and podcast called Ballot & Beyond. First released in January 2020 with support from Gallagher Evelius & Jones, the podcast and website will be updated with 28 new biographies of Maryland women later this month contributed by the volunteers of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center.

Watch the Lecture Recording on YouTube

Visit Ballot & Beyond to learn more

Support Preservation Maryland’s Inclusive Public History Projects