Boylan To Speak On The Origin Of Women's Activism

Chestertown, MD, April 1, 2002 — The C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College presents "Women in Groups: The Early History of American Women's Volunteer Associations," a lecture by Anne Boylan, Associate Professor of History at the University of Delaware, on Friday, April 5, 2002 at 4 p.m. in the Custom House, 101 S. Water Street, Chestertown.

The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

In her talk, Anne Boylan will take listeners back to the very beginnings of women's voluntary activism, to the decades immediately following the American Revolution when permanent women's organizations first emerged in Northern cities. The talk will describe a broad range of associations founded by New York and Boston women of varied racial and religious backgrounds, and it will offer a glimpse into the lives of organizational leaders. Based on her forthcoming book, "The Origins of Women's Activism: New York and Boston, 1797-1840" (University of North Carolina Press, 2002), this presentation draws from extensive research into the histories of about seventy-five women's organizations and the lives of about 1100 women leaders.

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College opened in Fall 2001 to encourage the broad study of American history and culture and the ways we give daily new meaning to what George Washington called "the great experiment." In keeping with the special history and character of Washington College, the Center focuses on the nation's founding moment, ideals and experiences by highlighting contemporary scholarship and research in these areas. For more information, visit starrcenter.washcoll.eduor call 410-810-7156.