1850 to Beyond Suffrage – Today’s National Women’s Rights Convention

On October 23-24,1850, over 1,000 people—including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Lucy Stone—gathered in Brinley Hall in Worcester for the first National Women’s Rights Convention. It was a groundbreaking moment that sparked a global movement.

Exactly 175 years later, the Worcester Women’s History Project (WWHP) at the Museum of Worcester (MOW) is bringing that history to life with a modern two-day convention exploring women’s rights then and now—reproductive freedom, pay equity, inclusion, constitutional protections, and more. Featuring national speakers, exhibits, performances, and a youth delegation.

8:30AM | Welcome by Reverend Irene Monroe & Opening Remarks –Massachusetts Attorney General, Andrea Campbell
9:00AM | Women and Politics, Past and Present – 175 Years of Activism
10:30AM | The Current State of Inclusion – Dr. Lauran Star
12:00PM | Lunch with music from Betty Machete and the Dancing Fleas
12:30PM | Dessert With the Dead Ladies – Q&A with historical icons like Abby Kelley Foster and Frances Perkins
1:30PM | Women’s Reproductive Health through the ages – Deja Foxx, Keynote
2:30PM | From Petticoats to Power Suits – an overview of Victorian Dress Reform with an Historical Fashion Show – Kristina Haugland, Philadelphia Museum of Art costume curator; Karon Shea Model Management moderates
3:45PM | Final Call to Action