The class research project, "Chronicling Grassroots Suffrage in Warrensburg," served as a semester-long project for the Fall 2019 course, "Democracy Denied: Women's Rights in America, 1800-Present." This paper argues that local and state history research projects like "Chronicling Grassroots Suffrage in Warrensburg" enhance student learning by providing opportunities for students to conduct authentic research that not only engages them in the practice of "doing history" (i.e., collecting, analyzing, and conveying information), but actually produces new knowledge. Authentic research projects, such as the one discussed here, promote discovery and generate excitement among students because they add new information to the historical record and ask students to analyze how their information modifies or changes what we think about a historical topic. These projects reinforce historians' emphasis on the identification and analysis of primary sources within their original context. Authentic research may also enlighten contemporary issues. This is a major benefit for historians and educators in the current educational environment as they strive to promote understanding, generate interest, and demonstrate the relevance of the liberal arts. The project tied together individual research with collective discussions about that research. The students eagerly shared with each other what they found, and they offered each other alternative explanations for source materials. The biggest challenge to apply this design to a larger class will be selecting a topic and finding enough accessible archival resources -- work that is well worth pursuing.