I remember not long ago when strolling the halls in the state capitol of New York State, I was acutely aware that all of the state’s governors had been men. Then Kathy Hochul came along. At first, she slipped into public service after the prior governor resigned his position. Then the lieutenant governor Hochul stepped forward.

The following November she was elected governor on her own. Not all women represent the electorate with flying colors, but it has been a VERY LONG time that women are even encouraged to represent others of all types and opinions.

It is not unusual for women these days to join political conversations, and it’s appropriate for other diverse players to step up to the plate. This has taken courage and persistence, and more.

What was once a forgotten historic artifact—a suffrage campaign wagon used in New York City and Long Island in 1913—was  shoved into the corners of garages on private property across the nation until things changed. This particular artifact, a suffrage campaign wagon—is not only pushed into prominence, but it, and other historical artifacts like it, represent a determined effort of determination by many.

The “Spirit of 1776” suffrage campaign wagon will travel from the state museum in Albany, NY to the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, New York, during the second half of 2025 for the exhibition, “Voices and Votes.”Long Island residents were also involved in supporting the wagon’s exhibition by supporting the overall cause of women voting.

In addition, staff at the New York State Museum are busy working on a NYS women’s oral history project. We’re among the growing numbers of those cheering this development and many others.