What can we learn about how people have secured equitable political representation in the United States by examining case studies from Lowell’s past and present?

In the fall of 2020, the Tsongas Industrial History Center hosted a webinar series exploring how underrepresented communities have fought for equitable representation and overcome barriers to civic participation. In each webinar, historians and educators shared content on a civics topic and discussed how to adapt it for the classroom. Each session includes companion lesson plans and primary documents.

The six webinars were:

  1. Overview of Voting Rights in the United States and Massachusetts
  2. Mill Girls and the Suffrage Movement
  3. The Success (and Failure) of the 15th Amendment and African American Voting Rights
  4. Becoming a Citizen and the Importance of Voting: The Immigrant Experience
  5. Lowell’s Immigrant Communities and the Push for Equitable Voting Representation
  6. Activating Youth Voices
Logo of a voting ballot box with the words The Vote A Statewide Conversation about Voting Rights Mass Humanities.

This program was funded in part by Mass Humanities.