Shall Not Be Denied: Alexandria Women and the Fight for the Ballot

This lecture examines Alexandria women’s contributions to the suffrage movement through biographical profiles, local activism, and the history of key organizations. The talk will explore the lives and work of Alexandria women who organized, advocated, and mobilized for the vote, with particular attention to the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia and the Virginia League of Women Voters. By situating individual stories within broader local, state, and national efforts, this lecture reveals how Alexandria women helped shape the strategies and successes of the suffrage movement.

Building on the Shall Not Be Denied exhibition currently on display at the Lee-Fendall House Museum through May 31st, this lecture expands on the themes introduced in the gallery. While the exhibition offers an overview of Alexandria women’s suffrage work, this lecture provides a deeper exploration of the people, organizations, and historical context behind the movement, drawing on additional research, archival materials, and personal narratives not fully explored in the exhibit.

Jenny Waters is the Museum Manager at the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden. In addition to curating the current exhibit, Shall Not Be Denied: Alexandria Women and the Fight for the Ballot, she regularly offers the women’s history tour of the house and expands upon the research of the women who once lived and worked on the property during its time as a private residence. Beyond her work in women’s history, Jenny created the museum’s World War II Walking Tour of Alexandria and is an avid researcher of the top-secret military intelligence facility P.O. Box 1142. She has presented lectures on this subject to both public and academic audiences.

Jenny holds a degree from Bucknell University, and most recently completed the highly-regarded Graduate Certificate in Collections Management and Care from George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts & Design in 2024.

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Host or Publisher Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden