ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A big piece of women’s history was the 19th Amendment, also known as women's suffrage, which gave women the ability to exercise their right to vote.
A leader in the movement was Susan B. Anthony. She gained most of her popularity while living in her family’s Rochester home.
“This house right here on Madison Street was her home from 1866 until 1906 when she died,” Deborah L. Hughes said. “The house was owned by Susan’s mother, Lucy, that she bought in 1866, and then Mary bought the house from her mother.”
The home has since been converted into the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House located on Madison Street. Deborah L. Hughes is its president and CEO.
“Susan B. Anthony is probably one of the greatest reformers in the world,” Hughes said.
Susan B. Anthony inspired many, but was also easily inspired by those in her community. Anthony is known for the women’s rights movement, but to her, it was always about something bigger.
“You’ll see here, Susan, now she’s not just sitting in this picture taking a look at all of her friends and doing their thing at her desk,” Hughes said. “She was trying to make a point that this is a movement of women all over the place, and she tried to get as many people into this photograph that was taken by the magazine as she could to demonstrate [that] it’s not about Susan, it’s about the whole movement.”
Anthony had a knack for networking. She enjoyed connecting the people around her to ensure they were using what she called “their gifts” to their fullest potential.
“I don’t know what she would have done with email or social media. She would have done a lot with it is what I think, actually. But really, connecting with women to keep the movement going,” Hughes smiled.
Anthony's office at the National Museum and House would be filled with mail from people across the country writing to her about the movement.
It takes great inspiration to inspire a leader, such as Susan B. Anthony. That’s why she admired the women around her, as well.
“[[Anna]] Howard Shaw was very one of the earliest women to be ordained and also was a lifetime partner of Susan B. Anthony’s niece, Lucy Anthony,” Hughes said as she displayed the line of women’s portraits that decorated the room in the house that was often used to board to friends, family and loved ones.
“Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a woman who was one of the most famous intellectuals of her time,” Hughes showed.
“Carrie Chapman Catt was the person who was the head of the Nassau when the 19th Amendment passed. And they then launched the League of Women Voters and Catt came here many times to visit Susan B. Anthony and was alive in 1954, so she was, she’s a bridge of a woman who both knew Susan and was here when we started the Anthony Museum in 1945,” Hughes added.
The house acts as a bridge for past generations to be able to connect with history.
“There’s so much about her that we can still learn from. And about social reform and social movements today. So we wanted a space where we could do some more,” Hughes said.
It’s why the team is preparing to expand. The National Susan B. Anthony House will add a new Interpretive Center in the near future.
“In this place, we’ll have a whole area for our collections, which we’re just talking about for storage or for research. And then we’ll have a whole new exhibit, around 6,300 square feet of interpretive exhibits and museums,” Hughes explained.
The new additional will be only 900 feet away from the current location, and near the train tracks because it was how Susan B. Anthony often traveled across the country for the movement.
“Susan B. Anthony changed the world, and so can you,” Hughes said.