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Arabella Watches ...Our Women's Rights Progress


Local author and retired educator Claire Morehouse will introduce her most recent publication. "Arabella Watches," on Sunday September 29th between 1 and 4pm at the Frontenac Museum in Union Springs.


Arabella, a china headed doll dressed in the Empire style of the early 1800's, traces the expectations for women from the time of coverture, when a woman had no legal identity belonging to her father or husband, to the present. She documents major changes during the past two centuries through the lives of six women of the same family.


The purpose of this small book, written with high school students in mind, is to raise awareness of the past and to spur recognition of current social and legal challenges. What were these laws which were adopted from European law by our brand-new United States of America government? What impact did they have in the lives of both men and women? Why may the effort to change these laws have originated in our own upstate neighborhood? What are our current social and legal challenges and what can individuals do to correct them?


Arabella, the doll, is real. The Cayuga and Auburn NY families who kept her intact are also real. The inequalities that her stories point out are equally real. We should all know and appreciate the progress already made and help it continue to benefit the lives of both men and women.


Join us for this important and exciting event as Morehouse will hold a book signing together with a short book talk to be given at 2pm. We hope to see you there!

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