2 MORE THAN 150 YEARS OF WOMEN’S HISTORY March is Women’s History Month. The Women’s Rights Movement started in Seneca Falls, New York, with the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848.Out of the convention came a declaration modeled upon the Declaration of Independence, written by a woman named Elizabeth Cady THE WOMEN WE HONOR Stanton. They worked inside and outside of their homes. business and labor; science and medicine; sports and It demanded that women be given They pressed for social changes in civil rights, the peace exploration; and arts and entertainment. all the rights and privileges that belong movement and other important causes. As volunteers, As you read our mini-biographies of these women, they did important charity work in their communities you’ll be asked to think about what drove them toward to them as citizens of the United States. and worked in places like libraries and museums. their achievements. And to think how women are Of course, it was many years before Women of every race, class and ethnic background driven to achieve today. And to consider how women earned all the rights the have made important contributions to our nation women will achieve in the future. Seneca Falls convention demanded. throughout its history. But sometimes their contribution Because women’s history is a living story, our list of has been overlooked or underappreciated or forgotten. American women includes women who lived “then” American women were not given Since 1987, our nation has been remembering and women who are living—and achieving—”now.” the right to vote until 1920. women’s heritage every March during National Of course, your generation will write the next chap- Women’s History Month. Every year, the U.S. House ter of women’s history. Look around your classroom. of Representatives and the Senate have passed a joint Who knows? Some of your classmates could be in the resolution declaring March Women’s History Month “next” wave of women achievers. and calling upon the people of the United States to in the News observe the occasion with special programs, cere- WOMEN’S HISTORY WARMUP monies and activities. How many men’s names from American history can 1. Look in your newspaper for mentions One way to celebrate women’s history is by celebrat- you mention in one minute? How many women’s of women. In small groups, see how ing the lives of the individual women who have played names? Your teacher will be the timekeeper. Compare many you can find in each of these important roles in our nation’s story. your answers. What do the results reveal about your sections of the newspaper: News, This supplement, “Women in History,” is a celebration knowledge of women’s history? Business, Sports, and Entertainment or of 20 individual women from government and politics; Features. List them on a separate sheet. Then make a bar graph to show the results of your survey. 2. Women not only make the news— WHO SAID...? they cover the news. In teams or as a class, go through the paper and read “Your time is now, my sisters... New goals and new priorities — the bylines at the top of stories. Bylines tell who the writer of a story is. How not only for this country, but for all mankind — must be set!” many of the bylines are women? How WRITE THE NAME HERE many are men? ————————————————————————————— First Black Congresswoman (Need a hint? Use the profiles on the facing page to identify the speaker.) WHO SAID...? HALL OF FAME INFORMATION “... Thomas Jefferson and Did you know that you can nominate someone to be in the National Women’s Hall of Fame? The Women’s Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 in Seneca Falls, N.Y., the site of the first Women’s Rights Convention in James Madison would be turning 1848. There are many women in the Hall of Fame. They range from former Congresswoman Bella Abzug to golf champion Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Some of the most notable members are listed on page 3. over in their graves right now, New honorees are elected every year to the Hall of Fame. You can read more about the nomination process and download nomination materials at http://www.greatwomen.org/nominate.php. The basic but let’s hope Abigail Adams guidelines are that nominees must be citizens of the United States, living or dead. Their contribution must be of national and lasting importance. The judges also consider: would be pleased.” • the value of the nominee’s contribution to society, significant groups within society or the progress and freedom of women. WRITE THE NAME HERE • the significance of the national contribution to art, athletics, business, ————————————————— government, philanthropy, humanities, science and education. First woman chosen for the U.S. Supreme Court (Use the profiles on the facing page to identify the speaker.) • the enduring value of the nominee’s achievement. 3 Here are thumbnail profiles of some of the members of the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Others are profiled elsewhere in this section. The Hall celebrates the wide range of achievement for women in many fields. Pick one you would like to know more about and research her life. BELLA ABZUG — Civil rights and labor CATHERINE EAST — Leader in creation of HELEN KELLER — Deaf, blind and mute as KATHERINE SIVA SAUBEL — Founder of attorney, congresswoman from New York City, the National Organization for Women. a child, Keller learned to overcome these handi- the Malki Museum at the Morongo Reservation advocate for women and the poor. caps and became a spokesperson on behalf of in California, the first museum founded and run MARY BAKER EDDY — Only American the capabilities of others with problems. by Native Americans. ABIGAIL ADAMS — Urged her husband, woman to found a lasting religion — The President John Adams, to “Remember the Church of Christ (Scientist). NANNERL O. KEOHANE — First BETTY BONE SCHIESS — Leader of Ladies,” and permit women to legally own contemporary woman to head both a major 1974 effort to have women ordained as priests GERTRUDE BELLE ELION — 1988 property. women’s college, Wellesley, and a research in the Episcopal Church in America. Nobel Prize winner who has spent a lifetime university, Duke. JANE ADDAMS — Created Hull House in creating drugs to combat leukemia, gout, PATRICIA SCHROEDER — Elected to the the Chicago slums, starting an American settle- malaria, herpes and other autoimmune diseases. BILLIE JEAN KING — Dominant women’s House of Representatives from Colorado in ment house movement to provide help for the tennis player for more than 20 years, winning 20 1972. GERALDINE FERRARO — First woman poor. Wimbledon titles, 13 U.S. Open titles, and more. nominated by a major political party as a candi- ELIZABETH BAYLEY SETON — First MARIAN ANDERSON — First Black singer date for Vice President of the United States MAGGIE KUHN — At 65, after a forced native-born American woman to be canonized a to perform with the Metropolitan Opera. (with Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984). retirement, Kuhn became founder of the Gray saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Panthers for senior citizens. SUSAN B. ANTHONY — Women’s move- ELLA FITZGERALD — World-renowned MURIEL SIEBERT — First woman to own ment’s most powerful organizer whose work jazz singer and the first pop musician awarded BELVA LOCKWOOD — First woman to a seat on the NewYork Stock Exchange (1967). with Elizabeth Cady Stanton paved the way for the Lincoln Center Medallion. practice law and argue a case before the United BESSIE SMITH — One of the nation’s women’s right to vote. States Supreme Court (1879). BETTY FRIEDAN — Feminist and activist greatest blues singers. CLARA BARTON — “Angel of the whose book The Feminine Mystique triggered JULIETTE GORDON LOW — Founder of MARGARET CHASE SMITH — U.S. Battlefield” in Civil War, and founder of the the contemporary women’s movement. the Girls Scouts of America in 1912. American Red Cross. Senator from Maine who was first woman MATILDA JOSLYN GAGE — MARY LYON — Founder of Mt. Holyoke, the nominated to be presidential candidate at a — Black Co-author (with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE first college for women, in 1837. national convention. teacher who began a school to help educate Susan B. Anthony) of the History of Women’s young Black women. Leader of the National Suffrage and leader of National Women’s WILMA MANKILLER — First woman elect- ELIZABETH CADY STANTON — In 1848, Council of Negro Women. Suffrage Association. ed Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. she and others convened the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. ANTOINETTE BLACKWELL — First ELLA GRASSO — First woman elected a MARGARET MEAD — Anthropologist With Susan B. Anthony, Stantonwrote and American woman ordained a minister by a state governor in her own right, in Connecticut whose book, Coming of Age in Samoa, caused argued for women’s equality through the right recognized denomination (Congregational). in 1974. scientific and social rethinking of adolescence. to vote. GWENDOLYN BROOKS — Poet and MARTHA WRIGHT GRIFFITHS — CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY — GLORIA STEINEM — Feminist leader, novelist and the first Black woman to win the Congresswoman from Michigan best known Attorney and jurist who became the first black writer and social activist who founded Ms. Pulitzer Prize (1949). for successfully adding sex discrimination as a woman named to the federal bench. Magazine. prohibited act in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. PEARL S. BUCK — Novelist whose writing LUCRETIA MOTT — Quaker anti-slavery HELEN STEPHENS — Winner of two gold on Asian culture won the Pulitzer Prize and the FANNIE LOU HAMER — Mississippi advocate and leader in the women’s rights medals in track and field at the 1936 Olympics.