Week 1

As I approached the Evanston History Center, which is located at the Charles Dawes House, I became very excited. The exterior of the house was a nice brown color and the size was enormous. I entered the building through the basement side door, where I was met by my supervisor Lori Osborne. She gave me a tour of the basement level, which included their archives collection. Their archives include clippings from newspapers, which Lori was concerned about because everything is turning digital. I then took a tour of the museum, which included general Evanston history and history of the prohibition period in Evanston. I enjoyed that I was able to explore the exhibits before diving into my research because I was able to gain background of the area before narrowing in on my topic. I then went back downstairs where I began to read a book, Century of Struggle: The Woman’s Rights Movement in the United States. Lori wanted me to have a broad understanding of the suffrage movement before I entered into my research on African American suffrage leaders. The book began describing the suffrage movement during the Revolutionary War and led all the way up to the victory of the 19th amendment. I really felt like I was able to practice my research skills when I looked over this book because I had to pull out the most relevant information and analyze it to help in my research of the African American women suffrage movement. Lori also gave me For the Freedom of her Race: Black Women and Electoral Politics in Illinois, 1877-1932. This book will be a continual source for me as I dive deeper into my research topic. Most of my day was spent gaining background information on the suffrage movement and preparing for my research, which will result in mini biographies of African American women suffrage leaders. Lori told me it may be difficult to map where the women did their work, but I am hopeful I will find information. Overall, I am really excited to get into the thick of my internship, and I think I will learn not only a lot about the African American suffrage movement as a whole, but also gain new skills in museum work!