History Bites | The Striking Summer of 1915

Enjoy a talk in conjunction with the special exhibition Building an American Voice. The year 1915 would bring Bridgeport’s triumphant, striking summer. World War I transformed Bridgeport, CT into a powerful arsenal for the allied war effort at home and abroad. Munitions contracts on a massive scale would profoundly alter the physical landscape, population, and workforce. In 1915, women workers played a powerful role starting with a highly publicized teachers’ protest that rocked the city. That summer 55 strikes were called. Join independent historian Carolyn Ivanoff to learn more about how 12,000 striking Bridgeport women won the eight-hour day mostly without any national labor involvement.

Free with Museum admission. Snacks and refreshments provided. Please feel free to bring your own lunch.

About the Speaker

Carolyn Ivanoff is a retired high school administrator and independent historian. She writes and speaks frequently on American history at local, state, and national venues. In 2003 Carolyn was named Civil War Trust’s Teacher of the Year. In 2010 and 2011 her education programs received Awards of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations. In 2016 Carolyn was honored by the Connecticut Council of Social Studies with the Bruce Fraser Friend of the Social Studies Award. In 2018-19 Carolyn served as project coordinator for the 17th Connecticut Flagpole preservation and re-dedication ceremony on Barlow’s Knoll at Gettysburg National Military Park. This project was honored with a 2019 Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) for preservation. Her book, We Fought at Gettysburg, features first-hand accounts by the survivors of the 17th Connecticut Infantry and their experiences on the greatest battlefield of the American Civil War.