Bazaars are lively marketplaces or fairs where vendors sell a variety of goods such as clothing, food, books, and crafts. In the suffrage movement, bazaars were organized to raise funds and awareness for the cause of women’s right to vote. The 1871 bazaar, one of the largest, was held from December 11 to 21 at the Music Hall (now the Orpheum Theatre) when Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910) was president of the Woman Suffrage Bazaar Association. This ten-day fair featured three days of entertainment. Items for sale included clothing, books, stationery, and confections. Suffrage organizations from other towns in Massachusetts participated and had tables with informational brochures, raising between eight and nine thousand dollars. These events were crucial for engaging the community, funding advocacy activities, and spreading the message of the suffrage movement.
