2024 Women’s History Month

Celebrating trailblazing women #intheBerkshires and beyond all March long!

March is Women’s History Month. The Berkshires has a rich history of trailblazing women! Take time this month to learn about and honor women’s contributions to history.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum

Visit the cradle of equal rights with a trip to the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams. The mission of the museum is to highlight the familial and regional influences which shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life, by displaying the textiles and furnishings of that period, as well as the literature and other memorabilia associated with her later career. While in Adams, take time to visit the Susan B. Anthony Statue in the Adams Town Common.

Elizabeth Freeman

Learn about Elizabeth Freeman, the first African American woman to successfully file a lawsuit for freedom in the state of Massachusetts! Visit the Trustees’ Ashley House in Sheffield to view an exhibit developed in 2012 by UMASS students dedicated to telling Freeman’s amazing story. Also explore the recently unveiled Elizabeth Freeman Statue at Shelffield’s Old Parish Church.

The Mount, credit Susan Herzfeld

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home

The Mount is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center dedicated to the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of author Edith Wharton (1862-1937), whose works include classic novels such as The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth, as well as authoritative works on architecture, design, and travel. Take a house tour and then stroll through the beautiful gardens.

Hancock Shaker Village

Ann Lee led eight Shaker converts here from Manchester, England, in 1774 seeking freedom to live, work, and worship. Today, the 750-acre Hancock Shaker Village operates as a living-history museum open to the public with 20 authentic Shaker buildings, rich collections of Shaker furniture and artifacts in rotating exhibits, a full schedule of activities and workshops, a mile-long hiking trail and picnic areas, store and cafe, and a working farm with extensive gardens and heritage-breed livestock.

Historic Women Trailblazers of Massachusetts

Learn about more than 70 remarkable women whose contributions to the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world are recognized as trailblazers and have strong ties to Massachusetts. This list from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is comprised of suffragists, social activists, abolotionists, culinary experts, teachers, politicians, scientists, athletes, artists, poets, and more!

Learn more about Women’s History Month.

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