Courts in the Classroom
Supreme Court of Indiana
Division of State Court Administration
30 S. Meridian Street, Ste 500
Indianapolis, IN 46204
History Project Award
from the National Council
on Public History
This scripted trial commemorates an important 19th century case about women and voting. Hoosier suffragette Helen Gougar was denied the right to vote in a Tippecanoe County election and took her case all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court (Gougar v. Timberlake).
Teachers are encouraged to use the materials below in their own classrooms to re-enact Helen's struggle. Resources provided include the script, a teacher's guide, and historic documents related to the case.
The play was written with the intention that an adult play the role of Helen and students fill all of the other roles such as Helen's family, the attorneys, and Supreme Court judges. It works well with students from 4th-12th grade.
This program was developed by Courts in the Classroom and Jennifer Adams, an Assistant Professor at DePauw University, with funding from the Indiana Humanities Council.
CITC staff would be happy to talk with you as you plan your event. Send pictures following your production and we may include them in our online photo gallery.