Chautauqua shows to spotlight women suffragists Sept. 10-11

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment which granted women the right to vote, Delaware’s 22nd annual Chautauqua tent shows, Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change, will be presented noon to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, and Friday, Sept. 11, at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes.

Activities will be held under a large tent and admission is free and open to the public. Note: In keeping with Gov. John Carney’s guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, proper social distancing and other hygienic practices must be followed during all Chautauqua activities. Visitors are asked to bring their own lawn chairs as no seating will be provided. In the event of poor weather, activities may be cancelled and will not be rescheduled. For more information, call the Zwaanendael Museum at 302-645-1148.

Women’s Work: Campaigning for Social Change will demonstrate the passionate efforts of suffragists striving toward one goal - earning the right for women to vote and participate equally in the nation’s political, social and economic life. Through theatrical enactments by both individuals and groups, lectures and musical performances, Chautauqua guests will be immersed in the women’s suffrage movement and experience the impact that it had on Delaware and its people.

Chautauqua takes its name from a series of adult education programs that were first held at a campsite on the shores of Lake Chautauqua in upstate New York during the late 19th century.

Reborn in the 1970s as a vehicle for humanities education, modern Chautauquas are often organized around a core program in which actor-historians portray celebrated historical figures, speaking and interacting with audiences. Modern Chautauquas have been presented annually in Delaware since 1999 featuring a wide variety of historical figures.

For a complete schedule of events, go to history.delaware.gov.