NORWAY — Norway Memorial Library is pleased to announce a talk by University of New England history professor, Elizabeth DeWolfe, Ph.D via Zoom on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 6:00-7:00 p.m.

This illustrated talk, titled The Great Turn-Out: Factory Girls and Maine’s First Labor Strike, will explore the life of New England “factory girls,” the opportunities mill work brought, and the challenges of this difficult labor. It will examine the tense days that followed the “turn-out” and see how a strike in one Maine town connected to national agitation for women’s rights, including suffrage. It’s a fascinating story of young women calling out men on broken promises, organizing to take collective action, and making a public display that anticipated by 170 years, the women’s marches of today. This talk will feature new findings about the Great Strike of 1841.

Dr. DeWolfe received her Ph.D. in American and New England Studies from Boston University and is the award-winning author of several works of history including The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories, about the short life and tragic death of a New England textile operative. DeWolfe’s research focuses on the stories of ordinary women whose lives would otherwise be forgotten and she brings her archives-based research into the classroom in courses on women’s history, historical research methods, and American culture. More about DeWolfe’s research and teaching can be found at www.elizabethdewolfe.com

To join the zoom meeting, please go to https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/84213405762

For more information, please call 743-5309 ext. 1, stop by the Information Desk, or e-mail [email protected].