The Morris County Board of County Commissioners declared March 2026 Women’s History Month during its public meeting in Morristown this evening, presenting an official proclamation and recognizing the contributions women have made to the nation over 250 years, as part of the county’s celebrates of America’s 250th anniversary.
The meeting also included the presentation of the Morris County “2026 Seeds of Change Award” by the Morris County Human Services Advisory Council’s (HSAC) Subcommittee on Women.
“As we celebrate Women’s History Month during the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, we are reminded that women have always been central to America’s story — from supporting the cause for independence here in Morris County to shaping the communities we know today,” said Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw. “Their leadership, resilience and commitment to service continue to strengthen our county and our nation.”
Director Shaw presented a framed proclamation on behalf of the board to the HSAC Subcommittee on Women, formally observing March 2026 as Women’s History Month and honoring the enduring contributions of women to Morris County, New Jersey and the United States. The board adopted the resolution at its March 11, 2026 public meeting.
The proclamation highlights the critical role women have played throughout American history — from before the American Revolution through generations of advocacy for education, opportunity and equality — while acknowledging many contributions have gone unrecognized.
That legacy is reflected in the region’s Revolutionary War history, which Morris County is commemorating during America’s 250th anniversary this year. While men served in the Continental Army, women maintained homes, farms and businesses. Morristown, which functioned as a supply depot, encampment, hospital and jail during the war, relied on both prominent figures such as Martha Washington and Eliza Schuyler as well as the largely unrecorded efforts of women known as “camp followers.” These women carried out essential daily tasks for troops such as cooking, cleaning, laundering clothing and caring for sick soldiers, tasks now encoded as official military specialties.
Though rarely named, their labor was vital to sustaining the Continental Army through four harsh winter encampments.