The Sharon Historical Society and the Mercer County Historical Society will host a special joint program exploring the story of the Justice Bell, a powerful yet often overlooked symbol of the American women’s suffrage movement. The event will feature a lecture and documentary screening that connects Pennsylvania history to the broader fight for voting rights.

In 1915, Pennsylvania suffragists sought a bold way to build support for a state constitutional amendment granting women the vote. With a referendum approaching, activist Katharine Wentworth Ruschenberger proposed creating a replica of the Liberty Bell and touring it across the state. She funded the $2,000 project, and the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association commissioned the Meneely Bell Company to cast the 2,000-pound bronze bell.

Inscribed with “Establish Justice,” the Justice Bell’s clapper was chained silent to symbolize women’s disenfranchisement. Suffragists transported it by truck from town to town, drawing large crowds with parades and fanfare. This bell arrived in Sharon on July 1, 1915, and was viewed by thousands along its parade route. At an open-air meeting in Herald Square in downtown Sharon, nearly 1,000 people attended the speeches of well-known suffragists. At the time of the Justice Bell’s stop in Sharon, it had traveled over 400 miles throughout Pennsylvania, visiting more than 75,000 people along its journey. The bell then made its way to New Castle and Pittsburgh.

Although the 1915 referendum failed, the bell became a lasting symbol of the movement. In 1920, after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, it was finally rung in celebration at Independence Square.

The program will be presented by Amanda Owen, a writer, independent historian, filmmaker, and cofounder and executive director of the Justice Bell Foundation. She wrote and directed Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote, which premiered at the National Women’s History Museum and aired on PBS stations. Her recent book, The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a Forgotten Symbol (2025), further explores the bell’s remarkable history.

Through this lecture and screening, attendees will gain insight into a pivotal moment in the fight for women’s rights and the enduring legacy of the Justice Bell. The author will have copies of her book to sell and will be available to sign copies before or after the presentation.

This FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC special lecture event will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 6:00 pm at the Sharon Municipal Building, 155 West Connelly Blvd, Sharon, PA 16146.

This event was made possible by the Mercer County Historical Society and the Justice Bell Foundation.