Bureau County History Center to host program on history of universal suffrage

The Bureau County History Center will host a presentation Saturday, Nov. 2, given by historian Jeanne Schultz Angel on the history of universal suffrage nationally and in Illinois.

Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism that has roots still seen today.

“There were suffragists living throughout Bureau County who raised their voices for the vote,” Bureau County History Center curator Jessica Gray said. “The American Women’s League building still stands on North Main Street in Princeton, where some of these women gathered and strategized. Women from Bureau County marched in the suffrage parade in 1913 in Chicago and picketed the White House in 1917 as a part of the National Women’s Party. This presentation will place their efforts into perspective on the broader stage.”

The presentation, “Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage for Women in Illinois,” will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Prairie Arts Center, 24 Park Ave. E., Princeton. The event is free and open to the public.

Schultz Angel will discuss how wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, although they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism silence her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois.

This event is co-produced by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, which invites Illinois authors, artists and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities.

Schultz Angel is the associate vice president and director of learning experiences and historical resources for Naper Settlement. She is a nonprofit administrator and museum professional with more than 24 years working within cultural institutions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and a Master of Arts in history from Illinois State University. She lectures for Oakton Community College and McHenry County College. Most recently, she was the lead historian in “Seeking Charlie: Connecting the Dots Left by a Freedom Seeker in Illinois,” a grant funded by the Association of African American Life and History and the National Park Service.

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community and strengthen civic engagement. The entity provides free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly affected by mass incarceration. Founded in 1974, Illinois Humanities is supported by state, federal and private funds.

For information, call 815-875-2184 or visit www.bureauhistory.org.