Speaker Saturday: Women Who Shaped Our Nation
Discover the stories of pioneering women who helped shape our nation.
Join the Fort Pitt Museum and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (NSCDA/PA) for a special screening of ‘For the Common Good: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation,” a documentary series directed by Andrew Ferrett.
The program will feature three episodes highlighting the remarkable lives and legacies of:
- Dinah of Stenton, an enslaved woman who won her freedom in 1776 and later protected the homestead of James Logan, William Penn’s Provincial Secretary, from being burned by British forces during the Revolutionary War.
- Elizabeth Coates Paschall, a healer and successful business owner and importer whose “recipe” book is preserved at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.
- Sybilla Righton Masters, an inventor who became the first American colonist granted an English patent.
Following the screening, attendees can delve deeper into the stories and legacies of women during this pivotal period in American history through a moderated discussion featuring Mickey Herr, vice president of the NSCDA/PA Board, Mike Burke, assistant director at the Fort Pitt Museum, and Dr. Erica Nuckles, director of learning, engagements, and partnerships at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
Admission
This program is included with general admission. Advance registration is recommended.
About the Speakers
Dr. Erica Nuckles is the Director of Learning, Engagements, and Partnerships at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. From 2014-2021, she served as the Director of History & Collections at Fort Ligonier and the Braddock’s Battlefield History Center. She is an alumnus of the 2013 Yale Public History Institute and has worked at several museums and historic sites in the Washington D.C. area and the Hudson River Valley.
Erica grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from the University of Wyoming, a Master of Arts in museum studies from the George Washington University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in history from the University of Albany, SUNY. She and her husband, Drue Spallholz, live in Ligonier where they own and operate own The Eastwood Inn and The Getaway Cafe.
Mickey Herr is a writer, storyteller, public historian, and communications strategist. She has held positions in development and communications for cultural institutions in the Philadelphia area and is the Executive Producer of “For the Common Good: The Women Who Shaped our Nation” a nine-part docuseries. Mickey serves as first vice president of the board of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Committee of 1926 at Historic Strawberry Mansion, and a longtime member of the Franklin Inn, Philadelphia’s oldest literary club.
