Earlier in August, the Frances Perkins Center announced the launch of a campaign to designate the Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle as a national monument. We heartily endorse this effort for many reasons. This designation would honor the legacy of an extraordinary woman who was pivotal in shaping modern America. Moreover, it would provide an invaluable resource for educating future generations on her remarkable legacy and the significant contributions that women have made to the United States.

As labor and women’s history scholars, it is difficult for us to overstate Frances Perkins’ accomplishments. Her legacy is profound and far-reaching. The first female Cabinet member in United States history, Perkins served as secretary of labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945. She was instrumental in creating and implementing landmark policies such as Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage laws and a 40-hour work week. Her vision laid the foundation for the modern welfare state and significantly improved the lives of countless Americans. Her tireless advocacy for working-class Americans deserves recognition.

Maine’s Frances Perkins Homestead is the only site in the nation fully dedicated to telling Perkins’ story. Designating the Frances Perkins Homestead as a national monument would finally give Perkins the full recognition she deserves as a visionary and fierce advocate for social justice. Visitors to the site learn about the dogged determination of a woman who defied gender barriers as she fought to implement her vision of America. Of the 430 sites run by the National Park Service, only 12 sites focus on women’s history or specific women. That is less than 3%. Designating the site as a national monument would be a step in the right direction as America seeks to reckon with its history and diversify its commemorative landscape.

This designation would provide opportunities to tell the story of one trailblazing woman and a broader history of women’s contributions to the history of labor and politics in America. In particular, Perkins’ early involvement in social reform, labor and the suffrage movement highlights how these issues were inextricably intertwined in the early 20th century. Before the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920, female labor reformers, Perkins included, were some of the most vocal advocates of extending the franchise to women so they could vote in politicians to enact legislation to protect female and child laborers.

Perkins cut her teeth in volunteering at social welfare organizations like Hull House and working for the New York City Consumers League, organizations that were run by women who hoped to improve the lives of women and child laborers. Perkins’ early work during the Progressive Era culminated in her historic appointment as the first female Cabinet member. The Perkins Homestead offers an opportunity to show how these eras are connected and foregrounded women’s critical contributions to making all American laborers’ lives safer. The enhanced political power women acquired in the early 20th century as a result of their work in the labor movement is clearly symbolized by Perkins being the first woman appointed to a Cabinet position and being appointed as secretary of labor.

Frances Perkins’ legacy offers many relevant lessons for today’s workers and preserving the homestead is more than an academic exercise. The Fair Labor Standards Act became law after Perkins assembled a team to draft legislation that could pass judicial review after the Supreme Court nullified two laws giving labor protections to women.  Perkins’ political savvy is the reason workers today enjoy wage and hour protections. In addition to her legislative accomplishments, Perkins advocated for a strong labor movement of workers’ unions.

Today, as workers and their unions in Maine and across the U.S. fight against forced 24-hour shifts in paper mills and dangerous nurse-to-patient ratios, the Perkins Homestead serves as a place for laborers to come together to strategize and learn from Perkins’ example of finding creative ways to win justice for workers.

Throughout her life, Frances Perkins made a point of returning annually to her family homestead in Newcastle to reflect and recharge before returning to Washington, D.C., to fight for working-class Americans. Roaming among the verdant woods and the rushing waters of the Damariscotta River, Perkins drew inspiration to envision a more just and equitable future for Americans. By designating the Homestead as a national monument, the federal government will ensure that future generations of Americans have the opportunity to literally walk in Perkins’ footsteps and be galvanized by her example. Now, more than ever, we must highlight stories like this.