The Forgotten History of a Married Woman's Right to Own Property

In honor of Women's History Month, the Society's President, Belinda Smith, will be giving a talk this Sunday at the Benicia State Capitol on a law that was passed at the Capitol in 1849 concerning married women and their right to own property and the journey to get there.

How did the gold rush and Spanish/Mexican civil law play a role?
What about single women?
Why would Downton Abby and Pride and Prejudice come up in any discussion of a married women's property rights?

All this and a few rabbit holes will be presented....

Belinda Smith is the current president of the Benicia Historical Society and long time advocate for historic preservation. She has worked for city and county government and has fallen into more rabbit holes than she would like to admit.

(For members that receive our mailed gazette, this event has been renamed from Women Owning Property & Other Highlights of the Benicia State Capitol Legislature.)