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Pocahontas
Pocahantas was a daughter of the Indian Chief called Wahunsunacawh. When first Jamestown was created and colonists were coming to America. Pocohontas along with many Indians helped them to adapt to the new land and helped them to survive before colonists could be on their own. She later converted to Christianity and married an Englishman John Rolfe. -
Women during Colonial Period
1609 is considered a year when women began to come to America from Europe. Women in the 15th & 16th centuries were mostly wives and mothers, and that was their primary job. They did not have any voice in the family circle, they couldn't do anything that would displease their husbands and did not have any rights whatsoever. Many of them didn't even ever think that their lives can be different and that they can be valued equally as men. -
Puritan Women
Life was especially hard for the women who were Puritans. Puritans mostly settled in Massachusets and treated women very poorly. Women did not have any rights, were considered properties of their husbands and moslty nothing better than domestic animals. In other colonies (Virginia) women sometimes could be respected by their husbands, but in Massachusets such instances for most of the part were non existant. Puritan women were also very religious. -
Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet was the first published poet in America. She united ideas of both "New World" aka the Colonies and "Old World" England, really well and her work was popular and she was a respected woman. Along with her husband Anne contributed to the creation of Harvard. Later both of her sons were graduates of Harvard University. -
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was a Puritan woman who lived in Masachusets during the time of the Colonial America. She is considered perhaps the first American feminist. She proclaimed openly her own interpretation of the Bible and strongly disagreed with some Puritan beliefs. Because of that she was tried and asked to leave Massachusets in 1638. She was the first woman to stand up for herself during the time when women were the property of their husbands. -
Margaret Brent
Maragaret Brent was the first woman in the early American history to serve as an attorney before a court of a Common Law. She was also one of the first women not marry and possess a private property in Maryland, she was a feminist and strongly believed that women should have equal rights as men. -
Women-Witches
In colonial America, colonists strongly believed in existance of witches. They were mostly associated with women, women who mostly didn't have husbands or money to look properly. Also women who were wandering around begging for food or gathered leaves in forests or claimed to know the future or being able to comute with familiars. Many became very suspicious of such women and put them up for trial and if the court decided that the woman is a witch she was hanged. -
Salem Witch Trials
In 1692 mass histeria overtook the town of Salem, Massachusets. It was believed that many women were witches. Women who were accused faced the court and if they did not confess (falsely) they were hanged. Many women were hanged, although they were not witches. -
Abigail Wiliams
Abigail WIlliams is considered to be the provoker of the Salem Witch Trials. She was a girl who dissembled and pretended to faint in front of the court claiming that the women were sending their "spirit" on her. Court believed her and because of her false accusations many women were hanged in Salem. After Salem Witch Trials Abigail left Salem, and most likely went to Boston and became a prostitute. -
Eliza Lucas Pinckley
Eliza Pinckley was a first agricultularist in America. She worked as a botanist and agriculturist after her marriage too and developed indigo as one of South's most important cash crops. Its cultivation and processing as dye produced one-third the total value of the colony's exports before the Revolutionary War. She was the first woman to be inducted into South Carolina's Business Hall of Fame. -
Lucy Terry Prince
Lucy Terry Prince is first published African American female poet. As a child she was stolen from Africa and sold into slavery. She later in her life wrote poems and novels based on her biography and memories. However her works were published in 1820s, after her death. -
Mercy Warren
Mercy Warren was an American writer and playwright. She was known as the "Conscience of the American Revolution". Mercy Otis was America's first female playwright, having written unbylined anti-British and anti-Loyalist propaganda plays from 1772 to 1775, and was the first woman to create a Jeffersonian (anti-Federalist) interpretation of the Revolution, entitled History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, published in three volumes in 1805. -
"Mother" Ann Lee
Ann Lee was the leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, or Shakers. In 1774 she and a small group of her followers emigrated from England to New York.They worshiped by ecstatic dancing or "shaking", which dubbed them as the Shaking Quakers, or Shakers. Ann Lee preached to the public and led the Shaker church -
Women During the Revolutionary War
Very few women like Deborah Sampson had courage to dress up like a man and go fight in the Revolutionary War. Most of the women stayed home and took over the jobs that their husbands had before. Now it was their role to support the family while men were fighting. Many women helped wounded soldiers and sent food to the Army. -
"Remember the Ladies. . ." -Abigail Adams
John Adams is attending a Continental Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence. While there he recieves a letter from his wife Abigail requesting that the "remember the ladies" and not leave them out of the new America. He writes back saying that he "cannot but laugh" at the silly demands that she makes. -
Mary Katherine Goddard
Goddard was an early American publisher and the first American postmistress. Along with her brother and sister in law she set up a printing press and published Providence's first newspaper, the Providence Gazette.Whenin 1777, the Continental Congress moved that the Declaration of Independence to be widely distributed, Goddard was one of the first to offer the use of her press and distribute the Declaration of Independence. -
Deborah Sampson
Deborah Sampson was an American woman who impersonated a man named Jonny Samspon in order to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. She is one of a small number of women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war.She served 17 months in the army, as "Robert Shurtleff", of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, was wounded in 1782 and honorably discharged at West Point in 1783. -
Martha Ballard
Between 1785 and 1812, Martha Ballard kept a diary that recorded her arduous work and domestic life in Hallowell on the Kennebec River, District of Maine. She wrote about daily life of men and women around the Massachusetts frontier in what is today the state of Maine. Her writing also illustrates struggles and tragedies within her own family and local crimes and scandals. -
Martha Washington
M. Washington was the very first First Lady of the United States of America. At the time however she was called "Lady Washington". She was the woman to whom post Revolutionary Americans looked up to. She worked a lot for charity and helping poor at her time. She was also the first American woman to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp. -
Griffith v. Griffith's Executors
Martha Griffith after the death of her husband claimed that under Maryland law a widow was entitled to a dower right of one-third her deceased husband's personal property, as well as his real property.The court of appeals awarded Martha Griffith one-third of her husband's personal property clear of debts — her dower rights to his real property (land, buildings) were not in question. After this Maryland women held higher statuses and had a chance to some private property. -
Sally Hemmings
Hemmings was a slave owned by the President Thomas Jefferson. She was notable because she became the mistress of Thomas Jefferson after his wife's death and he fathered six children with her. When this was reported in 1802, there was sensational coverage for a time, but Jefferson remained silent on the issue. Four Hemings-Jefferson children survived to adulthood. He let two "escape" in 1822 at the age of 21 and freed the younger two in his will in 1826. -
Sacagawea
Sacagawea helped to guide Lewis and Clark on their expidition into the recently purchased Louisiana Territory. Without Sacagawea the expidition would have failed due to language barriers between Lewis and Clark and the Indians. -
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Seton was born in New York and raised as an Episcopalian but later converted to Roman Catholic. She created St. Joseph's Univesity to educate Catholic girls. In 1975 she was canonized by the Pope becoming the first native born American to become a saint. -
Pennsylvania v. Addicks Family
This case determined that custody of children should be granted with regard to the best interest of the child, not necissarily to the father as was the rule before. -
Troy Female Seminary
This school was established by Emma Willard to provide women the same post-graduate opportunities as men. The school didn't teach the traditional "womanly activities," instead focusing on writing, reading, and sciences. -
Mary Pickersgill
Mary Pickersgill owned a flagmaking business. She was a successful entrepreneur long before many women even dreamed of becoming businesspeople. She sewed the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore (War of 1812). -
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Born on November 12, 1815, Elizabeth Cady Stanton worked towards women's rights for most of her life. Her feminist spark was lighted after visiting the World Anti-Slavery Convention and was forbidden to speak. she later held her own convention in Seneca Falls, New York Click Here for More on Elizbeth Cady Stanton -
Susan B. Anthony
An abolitionist and temperence worker (together with Staton she formed the Women's State Temperence Society). Anthony was also an avid supporter of Women's Suffrage. In 1892, she became president of the National American Women's Suffrage Association. Anthony was also a major proponent of women's property rights and liberal divorce laws. For More on Susan B. Anthony Click Here -
Maria Stewart
Maria Stewart was a black woman. She spoke about women's rights with a special focus on black women's rights. -
Emily Dickinson
Emily DIckinson, an American-born poet, was extremely unpopular during her life. It wasn't until 4 years after her death that a book of her poems was published, The works of Emily Dickinson are often inspired by nature. -
Dorthea Dix
In 1831 Dorthea Dix opened a school for girls. Later in her life she began to focus her efforts on metal asylum reform. She traveled from state to state arguing for better treatment of inmates and better facilities. -
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is the oldest co-educational college in America. Until Oberlin admitted women, the only college to admit women was Mount Holyoke. Oberlin also admitted black students even before the Civil War. -
Prudence Crandall
Prudence Crandall opened a private girls' school and created contreversy when she admitted a black student. This was the one of the first intergrated classrooms in the United States. -
Fanny Kemble
Fanny Kemble was a British Actress until she married Pierce Butler in 1834. After her husband inherited slaves, she was shocked to find the conditions they lived in. This prompted her to speak out against slavery. -
Women's Colleges
Between 1837 and 1889, seven all-female colleges were formed. They have been named the Seven Sisters. Mount Holyoke, Wellesely, Vassar, Smith, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, and Barnars all gave women a chance at higher education. There were, of course other women's colleges, mainly seminaries to teach women how to be educators. -
Victoria Woodhull
With her sister Tennessee Claflin, Victoria produced a journal called "Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly". It dealt with women's suffrage and many radical ideas such as the graduated income tax and the eight hour work day. In 1872, Woodhull ran for president with the suppport of the Equal Rights Party, but as she was only thirty-four she was disqualified from the race. For More on Victoria Woodhull Click Here -
Mississippi-Married Women's Property Act
This Act gave women the right to keep income from their property and protected them from that money being taken to settle their husbands debts. -
Margaret Fuller
Margaret Fuller is an author most associated with the Trancendentalist movement. Her novel Woman in the Nineteenth Century is one of the first feminist books ever written. She also fought for abolition and prison reform. -
Maria Mitchell
The first American, female astronomer, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet in 1847. Since her death a creater on the moon as well as a battleship have been named after her. -
Whitman Mission
A group of Presbyterian Missionaries went on the Oregon Trail to bring God to the West. Among the group were Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding. These two women are remembered as the first women to cross the country. -
Drexel University College of Medicine
The Pennsylvanian medical school was the nations first medical school for women. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott hosted the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. It was attended by over 300 men and women. During this convention, the "Declaration of Sentiments" was drafted. Based on the "Declaration of Independence" it expressed the attendees' grievences with men. For More on the Seneca Falls Convention Click Here -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and continued to return to the South to help other slaves through the Underground Railroad. She rescued over seventy slaves. She was tough, carrying a handgun and threatening those who thought to return to the plantations. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe
This female abolitionist authored Uncle Tom's Cabin a very influential book that fueld the fire of abolition. -
First YWCA in the United States
The YWCA attemped to empower women by offering classes such as Sewing and Typing. They also hoped to eliminate racism. During WWI the YWCA flourished by offering day care and business classes to the women left at home while thier husbands were fighting.
For More on the YWCA Click Here -
Carrie Chapman-Catt
Carrie Chapman Catt graduated from Iowa State College. After the death of her first husband she remarried. Her new husband, George Catt, supported her in her quest for women's suffrage. She was instrumental in getting the Ninteenth Amendment passed, and she didn't stop on her quest for equal rights until her death in 1947 -
National Prohibition Party
National Prohibition Party was created in 1869. Its first Committee Chairman was John Russell. Party was created in order to restrict the production and selling of the alcohol. At the end they succeeded in getting many counties to support their ideas. Women especially supported the idea of prohibition of the alcohol because many of their husbands and many men at that time in general unrestrictively enjoyed the liquor production, which took lives of many men. -
First unrestricted suffrage for women
First unrestricted suffrage for women was granted to women in Wyoming Territory. Later Wyoming is admitted to the Union with suffrage for women. Later more states give unrestricted suffrage for women. -
National Woman Suffrage Association
The National Woman Suffrage Association was created because of the split in American Equal Rights Association. Members of this Association opposed the Fifteenth Amendment unless it included women. They worked also to make a suffrage for women legal across the US. Men were allowed to join, but only women were allowed to control the leadership in a group. -
Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt was an American painter who focused most of her work on private and social life of women. She spent most of her adult life in France, starting in early 1870s and became good friends with famous French impressionist writer Edgar Degas. Her style of painting is also impressionist. She painted daily life of women, especially the bonds of mothers and children. -
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Purpose of Woman's Christian Temperance Union was to fight the influence of the alcohol in families and societies. WCTU also discussed alcohol as a cause to larger social problems rather than personal failings. Most of the women who joined the Union were mostly widows whose husbands has died of alcohol, or the wives of alcoholics. WCTU's first president was Annie Wittenmyer. -
Frances Willard
Frances Willard was American temperance reformer and women suffragist. In 1874 she became a president in Evanston College for Ladies. She strongly believed that women should get equal education as men. After she resigned from her job, Willard traveled on the East Coast of the United States participating in temperance and women suffrage movements. -
Mary Baker Eddy
Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, Mary Baker Eddy preached about healing through Christianity. In 1875, she wrote a book entitles "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures". Many people took refuge in the idea that their maladies could be healed by Christ. For More on Mary Baker Eddy Click Here -
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley was perhaps one of the most tallented women of the late nineteenth century. She was an exhibition and sharpshooter. Using .22 caliber rifle she could shoot without a miss from the distance of 90 feet. She showed other women, that she was not worse at "man job" than any ordinary men, and might have been even better at it. She was a perfect example to women of her time that women are not worse than men. -
Clara Barton
Clara Barton was a woman who started the American Red Cross in 1881. She was a leader of the Red Cross for about twenty three years. Her founding of the Red Cross was based on her principle of understanding other people's needs and ability to help them. -
Mary Harris ("Mother") Jones
"Mother Jones" was a first women to join famous labor union "Knights of Labor." She called for the Knights in the state of Illinois and most of those Knights were workers in the coal fields. The Knights had tollarance towards both male and female workers joining the union. -
Helen Hunt Jackson
Helen Hunt Jackson was an American writer and an activist, who fought to improve US government's treatment to Native Americans. In 1882 she wrote a book called "A Century of Dishonor" where she discribed the government's bold treatment towards the Native Americans. She even sent the copies to the members of the Congress hoping that they would think over about their manners towards the Native Americans. -
Emma Lazarus
Her sonnet "The New Colussus" is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" For the Full Text of "The New Colussus" Click Here -
Jane Addams
Jane Addams founded the Hull House in 1889 to "aid in the solutions of life in a great city, to help [it's] neighbors build responsible, self-sufficient lives for themselves and their families.” The Hull House was a home for immigrants that offered English Courses, Day Care, and many other sevices. Click Here for More on the Hull House -
Mary E. Lease
Mary E. Lease was called queen of the "calamity howlers". She was a powerful public speaker and worked with a Populist party. She scolded Wall Street and governent for turning their blind eye on poor workers. -
General Federation of Women's Clubs
It was founded by sixty one different women club delegates in 1890 in New York. The goal of GFWC was to unite women clubs into one club. The first President of the Club was Ella DIerz Clymer, Club mainly focused on women's self education and development, however later it also focused a lot on improving community service as well. -
Dance Hall Girl
A lot of women who who seeked any type of freedom moved out West in the late 1800s. Mostly the women who moved out West were looking just like as men for fortune, others came because they were divorced so they tried to make new life for themselves others became prostitutes, and some followed their husbands. -
NAWSA
NAWSA was originated to help women get their rights. The women in the party worked on getting votes state by state. From 1890 Susan B. Anthony was one of the leaders until 1900, and later she stepped down and Carrie Chapman Catt took charge to help women get their rights. -
Queen Liliuokalani
Queen Liliuokalani was the ruler of teh Hawaiian Islands before their annexation in 1898. The fact that she was a female ruler creates a stark contrast with the United States who, at teh time of Liluokalani, did not even allow their women to vote. -
Lillian Wald
Lillian Wald, inspired by the work of Jane Addams, built the Henry Street Settlement the help immigrants, poor people, and to help improve the community. Click Here for More on Lillian Wald -
Lillian Wald
Lillian Wald was a famous nurse. She helped everyone, sick soldiers, immigrants and orphans. She worked in an orphanage where conditions were poor.Later she began to take care of sick residents as a visiting nurse. In 1893 she proposed a term "public health nurse", in modern day she is viewed as a founder of visiting nursing. -
Anti-Saloon League
This organization worked hand in hand with the Women's Christian Temperance Union to prohibit the sale of alcohol. Many groups supported the Anti-Saloon League including churches . Business leaders, such as Rockefeller, also sipported the League. They believed that their workers would perform better if they did not drink. -
National Association of Colored Women
The NACW campaigned for suffrage, education reform, and the care of the young and old. It fought against lynching and rascism, as well as attempting to disprove people's perceptions of blacks. Click here for more information on the NACW -
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells, an African-American early civil rights movements leader. During her lifetime she massively protested against lyncing. Also she was active in women's rights movement and women's suffrage movement. In 1896 she formed National Associaton of colored women. It was the first civil organization for African-American women. Wells and her partners tried to change view of African-American women of thieves and prostitutes. -
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
In 1898 Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote "Women and Economics", a book that revoked the idea that men and women are different biologically. It demanded that women go out, get jobs, make money, and contribute to the economy. -
Gibson's Girl
Charles Dana Gibson's drawings of the "new woman" were called Gibson's Girls. These women were healthy, athletic, happy, and independent. They portrayed the ideal woman of the time. -
Kate Chopin
In 1899 Kate Chopin, a feminist author from the South writes "The Awkening" about adultery, suicide and women's ambitions in the late 1800s. During her life time she was mostly ignored, and redecovered later. As the 20th century progressed her work became a large source for readers where Chopin describes women's rights and their aches in second half of 19th century -
Carrie Chapman Catt
At the turn of the new century Carrie Catt became the leader of the NAWSA she strongly believed that getting state by state votes will eventually lead to the amandment which will allow women to vote. Most of her life she dedicated to the cause of women's rights. -
Women's Trade Union League
The WTUL was formed at an American Federation of Labor Conference. Their goals were to help women organize unions. This would lead to better working conditions and better pay. The League also campaigned for Women's Suffrage and worked hand in hand with the NAWSA -
Ida Tarbell
Ida Tarbell was a journalist in the beginning of twentieth century. Her father lost his money due to the Standard Oil Company. In 1904 she wrote a book called The History of The Standart Oil Company in which she acused robber barons of stealing the wealth from the working class. During her life time she worked to break up trusts and to help middle class society. -
Lochner vs. New York
The case Lochner vs. New York was a due process clause to the Fourteenth Amendment, it reduced the avarage hour work day for bakers. -
Muller vs. Oregon
Muller vs. Oregon case upheld Oregon state restrictions on working hours for women. Owner of the laundry business, Muller made women work for than 10 hours daily and the problem was heard in the Oregon court. -
Opposition to Women's Suffrage by Women
The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage felt that if women were granted the right to vote their ability to help others socially would decrease. After the passafe of the Ninteenth amendment, the group dissolved. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
About 146 women mostly young girls died in the New York shirtwaist factory fire. The building caught on fire because the building failed to meet safety standarts. Also girls were locked in the room they worked in so they did not have a chance of exiting. It is considered to be the most deadly industrial incident in the history of the United States. -
Jane Addams nominates TR
Although the women's right to vote was still a decade away, in 1912 Jane Addams, one of the most famous women during her time announced to NAWSA that the Populist party should be supported by the women of the United States, and she believes that the party will strongly support women's rights. -
Period: to
The Great War
During WWI the movements towards Women's Suffrage slowed -
NWP
National Women's Party was founded in the middle of the World War I by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. They split from NAWSA because they believed that women need to get an Amendment that guerantees their right to vote instead of getting state by state giving women rights. In 1917 women went picketing in front of the White House demanding the Amendment that would allow them to vote. -
Alice Paul
Alice Paul was a diplomatic women of the 20th century. She fought for women's rights most of her life. She created NAWSA which faught for women's rights to vote amendment. -
Lucy Burns
Similarly to Alice Paul, Lucy Burns dedicated her life to the cause of women suffrage. She was one of the leaders of NWP and faught for the amendment which would allow women's right to vote. -
Women for the War
The National American Womens Suffrage Association supported WWI. They believed that if they showed the Government how patriotic, hardworking, and practical they were, the Government might reward them with the right to vote. -
Women Against the War
The National Women's Party was against the war. They felt that if America was fighting for democracy in other nations, democracy should first be fully attained here; a task that could only be completed by granting women the right to vote. They NWP picketed in front of the White House and many members were arrested. -
Women in the War
Women took a huge part in the Great War. They not only filled in for men at factories, but aided in recruitment, worked as doctors and nurses, and some women from certain countries even fought. A list of famous Women in the War -
Agnes Smedley
Smedley was an American journalist and writer. She was greatly known for her chronicling of the Chinese Revolution. During WWI she worked in the US for independence of India from Great Britain. She also worked on behalf of women's rights, birth control, and children's welfare. -
Jeanette Rankin
Jeanette Rankin (R) was the first female representative in Congress. She served from 1917-1919 in the House and then ran for Senate, unsuccessfully. Rankin supported peace and women's rights. For more on Jeanette Rankin Click Here -
18th Amendment
Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. The eighteenth amendment was repealed by the twenty-first amendment. (Remember: "you can't drink when you are 18 years old, but you can when you turn 21") -
Women and Prohibition
Although women could not vote, they did have political power. With this power, many women rallied the United States in a fight against alcohol. This movement was called temperance. The government soon ratified the 18th amendment which banned the sale of alcohol. -
Volstead Act
The Volstead Act clarified the Eighteenth Amendment. It declared that alcohol was illegal, except for use in science and as a medicine. Although intended to eliminate loopholes in the Amendment, it created many loopholes itself. -
United States Women's Bureau
During WWI women had taken on more responsibility in the nation. Not wanting to lose that when the men returned from war, the United States Women's Bureau was created. When the men did return, most women gave up their jobs and returned to their old lives. The USWB is still around and you can access their website here -
Flappers
During the Roaring 20's many women pushed boundaries. These "flappers" wore short, loose-fitting dresses and cut their hair short. -
Women in the Workplace
After WWI many women went back to their homes, but the perception of women changed. Suddenly, they were seen as workers as opposed to just mothers. Many young girls went to work to support their families. It is important to remember that many women did return home and raise families. -
19th Amendment
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." Finally, after years of protesting, women were granted the right to vote. -
Margaret Sanger
Sanger, a proponent of birth control, founded the American Birth Control League (ABCL). She distributed contraception devices as well as information on sexuality, birth control, and menstruation. -
Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act
The Sheppard-Towner Act allowed the Government to fund States' programs that dealt with maternity and children's health. Although the during the time that the act existed, infant mortality rates decreased, the act was deemed unconstitutional in 1929 -
Willa Cather
An American author, Willa Cather recieved much recognition for her work. Cather wrote about the frontier and the lives of those who lived there. She won a Pulitzer prize for her novel One of Ours which was set in WWI -
National Women's Party in 1923
In 1923, the NWP lobbied for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA stated that Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex. -
Nellie Tayloe Ross
Nellie Tayloe Ross was American politician and a governer of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927. She was the first woman to ever serve as a governor in the United States.She was also a largerly supporting prohibition in 1920s. -
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was an African American author associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston wrote four novels and over 50 short stories. Hurston's fame began in the 20's and continued into the 50's. -
Margaret Walker
Margaret Walker was a very famous African American poet. She worked as part of the Federal Writers' Program under the WPA. Later, she founded the Institute for the Study of History, Life, and Culture of Black People. -
Women and the Great Depression
During the Great Depression many women went to work in order to bring more money to the family. A notable woman of the great depression was Dorthea Lange. Her photography of families living through the Depression touched the hearts of many throughout the United States. -
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange was American documentary photographer and photojournalist.She is mostly famous for her photographs during the Great Depression which humanized the tragic consequences of the Great Depression. -
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was American brilliant aviation pioneer. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first woman to receive U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross. She also wrote bestselling books about her flying experiences. -
Women and FERA and WPA
Under the New Deal's FERA women were able to get jobs in city and highway beautification as well as sanitation. Ellen Woodward directed women's work for FERA. The WPA also gave women jobs, but strongly discouraged both the husband and wife from working. -
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins was the first woman appointed to the US Cabinet. During FDR's presidency Perkins served as the Secretary of Labor. Perkins fought for many aspects of the New Deal, but gained fame for her involvement with the Social Security Act. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
The first lady of the United States from 1933-1945, Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong advocate for civil rights. Her activity as first lady was enourmous. Roosevelt fought for African American and Women rights and used her position to get media coverage. She also gained fame during WWII when she visited soldiers in war areas to boost morale. Even after the death of her husband, Roosevelt continued her advocacy. -
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was American jazz singer and song writer. Holiday was one of the women who greatly influenced jazz and pop music. Her vocal style influenced many jazz instrumentalists and created a new way of phrasing and tempo in jazz and pop music. She is considered to change the art of the American pop vocal forever. -
Mary Margaret McBride
She was an American radio interview host and writer. Her radio showes were extremely popular for about for about forty years in America, spreading news to the American public all over the nation. -
Mary McLeod Bethune
An African American, Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and activist. Her fights for equal rights for women and blacks earned her a place on FDR's advisory board. She was also very close with Eleanor Roosevelt. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women, an organization aimed at bringing about equality for all regardless of race, creed, or gender. -
Federal Art Project benefits women
Women just like men suffered from the Great Depression, however WPA program and specifically The Federal Art Project provided many women with jobs and helped them out during the difficult times. These were the women who were artists, photographers and actresses. Although their job seemed insignificant to many, and they were afraid to be last ones to find jobs, the US government created the Federal Art Project in order to help all of these talented women. -
Social Security Act
Although the Social Security Act helped relieve the financial burden of the Great Depression for many people, women were not strongly supported. Single or widowed women were given money, but married women did not recieve much help from the government. -
Hallie Flanagan
Hallie Flanagan was a playwright, director, and author. She directed under the Federal Theatre Project, a section of the Works Progress Administration. Hallie studies at Vassar and later taught at Smith (both prominent all-female colleges). -
Anna Moses
Known also as "Grandma Moses" Anna Moses was a renowned American folklore artist. She is a great example of woman who started her individual career in arts. Her paintings usually represent numerous American holidays. -
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an African American singer/songwriter. Her music was both Pop and Jazz. The 1939 song "Strange Fruit" addressed the issue of Lynchings in America. -
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was American most celebral contralto of the twentieth century. She had a great rich voice which influenced many and moved everyone's heart who heard her sing. Most of her singing career was spent performing in the concerts or recitals. Her biggest success perhaps was her performance on Easter Sunday of 1939 on step of Lincoln Memorial where over 75000 Americans gathered to listen to her performing, and millions listened via radio. -
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World War II
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Jeannette Rankin
Jeannette Rankin was the first women in American Congress. She was was elected as a Republican from the state of Montana, In 1916 she was elected into the US House of Representatives and in 1918 she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Republican nomination to represent Montana in the US Senate. In 1940 she ran on anti-war platform and was elected to the US Congress once again. -
WAAC
During the WWII about 150 000 women other than nurses joined the Women's Army Corps to serve within the ranks of the United States' Army. -
WOWs
The women title WOW meant the Woman Ordnance Worker which referred to women who were staying home during the WWII and worked in the factories or took other job that was usually performed by men. -
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt was German-Jewish political theorist. Her work deals with nature of power, politics, authority and totalitarism. In 1941 she managed to escape to US with her mother and husband and continued her work in the United States -
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Reveter is an icon of working women during the WWII. Many of these women worked in the factories or manufacturing plants. Many of them had to take new jobs in order to replace men who were fighting in the WWII -
WAVES
WAVES was the division of the US Navy during WWII that consisted only of women. It happened in the first time in the American history that women in big numbers joined the US Navy. -
WASP
This was a pioneering organization of civilian female pilots who flew military aircraft during World War II under the direction of US Army Air Forces. About 1074 women joined the WASP in order to help out US in WWII. -
SPARS
SPARS were women who served for the US Army as United States Coast Guard. They served in order to free men from stateside service so they can fight overseas -
Burnita Shelton Matthews
Burnita Shelton Matthews was the first woman to serve on a US District Court. Because of sexism against female lawyers Matthews had a hand in creating the Woman's Bar Association of the District of Columbia and the National Association of Women Lawyers. -
50's Housewives
The 1950's housewife was an expert in all things home. She not only took care of the children, but cleaned the house, hosted get-togethers, and made dinner, all while wearing pearls and heels. -
Working Women in the 50's
While women of the 50's were still getting married and raising families, many more women, including married women, were entering the workforce. Women in the workplace were still paid much less than men. -
Margaret Chase Smith
Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman elected to both the House and Senate. Hailing from Maine, this Moderate Republican attacked McCarthy and HUAC in her Declaration of Conscience speech (June 1 1950). -
Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson was originally a biologist. However later she became nature writer. She wrote about sea, life on Earth, conservation and environmental problems caused by humans. Her books are considered to be a starter of global environmental movement. -
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy was a very popular TV Program in the 50's. Lucille Ball starred as Lucy, the ambitious, but sometiems incapable lead. Some women criticized the show as a poor representation of women's true abilities. -
WHER
WHER was America's first women's radio station. The station was staffed only by women, but incidentally was owned by a man. -
Rosa Parks
On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama Rosa Parks refused to obey the orders of a bus driver to move to the back of the bus and stayed in her front seat. She was arrested. Parks serves as a reminder that women had an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. -
The Pill
The Pill is a form of birth control originally introduced in 1957. at first it was not marketed as a contraceptive, but later became widely used. Laws of certain states prevented married and unmarried women to use The Pill until, in 1972, the Supreme Court determined that The Pill was open to anyone. -
Jacqueline Kennedy
Jacqueline Kennedy was a wife of John F. Kennedy. She was a suporter of women's rights and is remembered mostly for her contributions to arts and preservation of historic architecture as well as her style and elegance of the First Lady. -
Women Strike for Peace
Women Strike for Peace (WSP) is a group of female activists. They used their power to bring down HUAC and they organized a March Against Nuclear Weapons: the largest women's peace protest of the 20th century -
"Hippie" women
Women played big role in the counterculture of the 1960s. These were mostly college girls who dressed up, put a lot of make up, behaved inappropriately, smoked, drank and didn't worry about the future. Many of them lived out in the trails and some of them didn't have home. Women's especially young girl's behavior disagreed with traditional moral of American female, and that was the image of "hippie" woman. -
Equal Pay Act
Signed into law by Kennedy, this law requires equal pay for men and women. -
Julia Child
This American Chef is known for bringing the art of French cooking into American households. Best known for her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Child also had a cooking show. -
The Feminine Mystique
Betty Friedan's 1963 novel questioned the role of women in Society. Friedan interviewed old classmates and other women and discovered that they were unhappy with their lives as housewives. This novel has been called the spark for the second wave of feminism. -
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was one of the American voting rights activists and civil rights leader. Most of her life she spent working on civil and voting rights for the African Americans and for African American women. In 1964 she was one of the organizers of Freedom Summer. -
CIvil RIghts Act
Although Civil Rights Act of 1964 mostly gave rights to African Americans, it did not omit America's women. This Act officially forbade the discrimination on the basis of race and sex. Now women were completely equal with men in hiring, promoting and firing, which gave women better chancesto find better jobs and promote and not be discriminated by sex. -
Griswald vs. Connecticut
Griswold vs. Connecticut can be considered one of the most liberal decisions of the US Supreme Court in American History. The court case was about the Connecticut Law which prohibited the use of contraceptives. Supreme overturned that law stating that it violated the right to marital privacy. -
Voting Rights Act
Although 19th Amendment gave women rights to vote, many women had difficult time voting, and in many places in America they could not vote because of strong sexual discrimination. Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave women better chances to vote and helped them with their voting rights. -
National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. NOW's main goal in 1966 was to bring women into participation in the mainstream of American Society, and excercise women's privileges and responsibilities in equal partnership with men. -
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carrol is American movie star and singer. At first she appeared in some early films that featured black cast. However in 1968 Carroll starred in "Julia" , one of the first series in American History that portrayed black woman in non-stereotypical role. -
Jeannette Rankin Brigade
In January of 1968 about 10 000 women led a peaceful march in Washington D.C. protesting against the Vietnam War. The march shows the involvment of women in anti-war protests and forms of protests engaged by women. -
CWLU
In 1969 women of Chicago organized a movement pro civil rights, against Vietnam War, and other social issues at a time. CWLU existed only for eight years, and their main goal was to focus on grassroots programs for women in America. -
Roxcy Bolton
Roxcy Bolton was feminist rights activist from Florida. She is mostly famous for the challenge she took in 1969, when she challenged the practice that many store restaurants had, keeping the seperate "men only" section. Bolton was successful in her mission. -
Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities
President Nixon realized that although women had their rights on the paper, in real life they were still the lost sex. In 1969 he organized Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities headed by Virginia Allan, who worked on women's rights. From that group came out the phrase "A Matter of Simple Justice".Allan also recomended the Equality Act in 1970 which again emphasized the equality of men and women. -
Anna Mae Hays
Anna Mae Hays was the first women in the American History to be promoted to the rank of the general officer. It proved that not only men but women can be successful military leaders. -
NWCP
NWPX was created in 1971 and still exists today. It is a national bipartisan grassroots organizationwhich main goal is to recruite traine, and support women who seek elected and appointed offices. -
Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment was proposed amendment to the US Constitution. It was originally written by Alice Paul in 1923 however it was introduced by Virginia Allan to the Congress in 1972. The Amendment talked about guaranteed rights for all citizens in the US especially female citizens. Amendment passed through both houses of Congress however it failed to gain ratification by the deadline time. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was perhaps the most liberal decision made by the US Supreme Court. Court decided that privacy clause of 14th Amendment extends to woman's decision to have abortion. However abortion is to be regulated by state: protecting prenatal life and mother's health.
