Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Four women pose for a group photo.

What Drives Their Support? Our Donors Share the Stories

Hear what giving to the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum means to our donors. From Charter Members to Making History Network volunteers, the passionate members of our community help us fulfil our mission.

Two young people surrounded by greenery. One person has their hand outstretched towards a leafy bush in front of them.

Center for Community and Environment Educates and Inspires Youth for Innovative Change

The Center for Community and Environment, which receives funding administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, gives students and staff an opportunity to identify and explore issues of environmental inequity impacting their communities.

Black and white portrait of Dat So La Lee seated in a chair and surrounded by six decorative baskets on the floor by her feet.

Basket Maker Dat So La Lee’s Artistry Was a Means of Survival

Meet Dat So La Lee, a Washoe basket weaver whose signature degikup style preserved her cultural heritage and offered a means of survival as she adapted to the American economy.

Selfie of Joy Dean in her flight helmet. Clouds are reflected in the visor.

These Groundbreaking Pilots Made History 30 Years Ago as the First American Women to Fly Combat Missions

Launching from the deck of the USS Eisenhower, these women showed that being a good aviator has nothing to do with gender

Design of the quarter with Zitkala-Ša from the waist up holding a book. The words “author, activist, composer” are beside her.

Zitkala-Ša, Native American Rights Activist, Honored on New Quarter

Zitkala-Ša, “Red Bird,” Gertrude Simmons Bonnin: an activist, author, and composer who fought for citizenship and sovereignty for Native Americans is honored on a quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program.

Candid black and white photo of people walking down the street. Two women face the camera in the foreground under an awning with the words “The First Women’s Bank” on it.

How the Equal Credit Opportunity Act Transformed Women's Economic Power

Learn about Emily Card, Jeanne Hubbard, Stephanie Lipscomb, and Rosemary Reed—four women whose stories about financial independence demonstrate the importance of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 and the phenomenon of women’s banks.

An illustration of a new species of phyla with a cone shaped bottom and thin tendrils coming out of the top.

Science Illustration: A Creative Door for Early Women in Science

Learn about Violet Dandridge, Aime Motter Awl, Carolyn Bartlett Gast, and Marilyn Schotte: four women from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Department of Invertebrate Zoology who broke through the gendered barriers of science and made significant contributions to scientific discovery through art.

A black-and-white photograph of Fannie Lou Hamer carrying a sign and holding an umbrella over her head.

Fannie Lou Hamer and the Fight for Voting Rights

Learn about Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting rights activist whose vision for an inclusive political future laid the groundwork for the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Six women sitting closely together posing for the camera. They are wearing uniforms with light skirts and dark jackets and an armband with the letter C on it.

Lee Miller's Legacy: From Fashion Model to War Correspondent

Lee Miller, who captured some of the most harrowing photographs of World War II, started as a model and Surrealist photographer. Learn about her life and legacy that has inspired a major motion picture.

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