Elizabeth Forbes | Jailed for Freedom

This episode of Ballot and Beyond, contributed by the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, was written and is being read by Dr. Amy Rosenkrans.

Women from all parts of the state fought to gain the right to vote. Elizabeth Forbes of Harford County was one of those women. While many in her social situation may have preferred to remain at home and quietly participate in local clubs, Elizabeth advocated for woman suffrage on the local, state, and national level. That advocacy even landed her in a Washington, D.C. Jail. Forbes and the other women who served time in jail for the suffrage cause, were awarded a small silver "Jailed for Freedom" pin.  As the only Harford County suffragist who served time in jail, she became affectionately locally known as the “Jailbird.”  

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