Fort Ticonderoga’s “Fort Fever Series” continues on Sunday, March 11, at 2:00 p.m. with a program on “A ‘Charmingly Aggressive Woman’ Sarah Pell’s Struggle for History & Human Rights” presented by Miranda Peters, Fort Ticonderoga’s Director of Collections. During this program, explore images, archival materials, and collections never before seen by the public, and recently cataloged by museum staff that reveal glimpses of Sarah Pell’s impactful work. This program is part of the National Women’s History Month celebration.
“Sarah was a strong woman who advocated for civic duty, preservation, and the many layered stories here at Ticonderoga,” said Miranda Peters, Director of Collections. “Ticonderoga museum staff have recently rediscovered hundreds of photographs, pieces of correspondence, and objects connecting us to Sarah and her remarkable story in new ways.”
Described by a contemporary as a “charmingly aggressive woman,” most early newspapers identified Sarah as a prime mover behind Fort Ticonderoga’s restoration in the early 20th century. She believed strongly in the value of preserving the past for the benefit of the future. In addition to her work with the museum, Sarah was active in restoring the Pavilion into a summer home, developing the King’s Garden, and was a tireless advocate for women’s rights. Although engaged with the suffrage movements across the Atlantic as early as 1913, it was later in her life that she became the most deeply engaged. Sarah joined the National Woman’s Party (NWP) in the 1920s, setting it on the path of financial stability, and become the NWP National Chair in 1936, where she picked up the work left after suffrage was achieved. During her tenure, she reintroduced the Equal Rights Amendment written by Alice Paul in 1923, who had visited the Pavilion at NWP events in Ticonderoga.
Tickets for the Fort Fever program are $12 per person and can be purchased at the door; Fort Ticonderoga Members and Ticonderoga Ambassador Pass holders are admitted free of cost. The program will take place in the Mars Education Center.
A new exhibit at the Mars Education Center focuses on Sarah’s pioneering role in historical preservation and women’s rights to learn how the past informs our work in the present, and the layers of history that can be uncovered here at Ticonderoga. https://www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/museum-exhibit/Sarah-Pell
America’s Fort is a registered trademark of the Fort Ticonderoga Association.
Photo: “Mrs. Pell, President Taft, A. C. Bossom” July 6, 1909. Fort Ticonderoga Museum.