It’s more important now than ever to bear witness to the history of civil rights activism. We’re in an age where actual media headlines and satire are equally outrageous. Levelheaded Americans with any level of critical thinking skills are forced to second guess everything and look for official information, which often gives a 404 error when trying to cite the official government website.
So, anyway, The Husband and I are always trying to learn more and be better, and that includes learning while traveling. We want to honor those who have fought so hard for the rights that we’re on the precipice of losing while we still can.
One of the best things about Buffalo/Rochester/Western New York is the rich history of people who stood up for what was right and just. It was a key area for the Underground Railroad, with many houses offering refuge before the journey across the border into Canada (including my in-laws basement). Harriet Tubman lived in nearby Auburn (our visit to her home is coming soon) and Frederick Douglass was a dear friend of Susan B. Anthony. Their activism history is so tied together that a bridge in Rochester shares their names, and the park near Susan’s home includes a sculpture of her sitting with Frederick. They are even buried near each other in Mount Hope Cemetery.
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House is located in the home she lived in, was arrested in, and died in. It was also the headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, of which she was President.
Much of the house looks like it did when Susan B. Anthony lived there, including original clothes and the alligator purse she carried everywhere,which was probably full of the documents she needed to fight for the right for women to vote (spoiler alert- that didn’t happen until fourteen years after she died).
After Susan B. Anthony was arrested in the front parlor of her house for having the audacity to vote, she was tried at the Ontario County Courthouse, which is THIRTY MILES away using today’s roads.
But the wildest part is just how many pioneers for civil rights stood in that very house alongside Susan B. Anthony! It was humbling to know that so many incredible people stood in the very spot that we stood. Ida B. Wells, journalist, sociologist, and founding member of the NAACP. Carrie Chapman Catt, suffragist who followed Susan B. Anthony path and became President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Frederick Douglass, writer, abolitionist, and leader of the movement for African-American civil rights in the 19th century. Susan B. Anthony also knew Harriet Tubman, so perhaps she had been there as well.
If you want to learn more about what it takes to make a difference in a world that has set you up for failure, you need to visit the Susan B. Anthony House and Museum. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday and tickets are $20 for adults. Book ahead to ensure the tours aren’t sold out.