Toggle
Search
SUBSCRIBE (Left)
RENEW (Left)
GIVE A GIFT (Left)
March 2021 magazine cover
Search
Facebook
Twitter
“Women

The Smithsonian has launched the American Women’s History Initiative, a comprehensive undertaking to document, research, collect, display, and share the rich and compelling story of women in the United States. Through this initiative, the Smithsonian seeks to amplify women’s voices, reach diverse and international audiences, and empower generations. In celebration of the AWHI, SmithsonianMag.com has collected representative examples of its coverage of diverse women throughout American history.

Pathbreaking Women

The Way Americans Remember the Blackwell Sisters Shortchanges Their Legacy

Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell deserve to have their incredible stories told in full
By

At the Smithsonian

Congress Approves Smithsonian Museums Honoring Women and Latino Americans
By
The Rise and Fall of America's Lesbian Bars
By
Why Kamala Harris' Pearls Have a Special Significance
By
Women Artists Reflect on How They Helped Shape SoHo
By
Girls Have Sparked Political Change for a Long Time—and Continue to Do So
By
How History Records the Peculiar Role of America’s First Ladies
By

Women in STEM

The Once-Classified Tale of Juanita Moody: The Woman Who Helped Avert a Nuclear War

By

U.S. Postage Stamp Will Honor the 'First Lady of Physics'

By

How Codebreaker Elizebeth Friedman Broke Up a Nazi Spy Ring

By

The Air Force's First Female Fighter Pilot

By

NASA Names D.C. Headquarters for 'Hidden Figure' and Engineer Mary Jackson

By

Deep Biases Prevent Diverse Talent From Advancing

By

The Science of Fear, the Royal Scandal That Made France Modern and Other New Books to Read

By

The Pioneering Health Officer Who Saved Portland From the Plague

By

They Shaped Culture

How 19th-Century Activists Ditched Corsets for One-Piece Long Underwear
By
The Powerful, Complicated Legacy of Betty Friedan's 'The Feminine Mystique'
By
Meet the First Black Woman to Represent the U.S. at the Art World's Biggest Fair
By

Future of Women's History

Kamala Harris Portrait Draws Inspiration From the Glass Ceiling She Shattered

By

Meet Amanda Gorman, the U.S.' Youngest Inaugural Poet

By

Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021

By

Covid-19's Impact on Working Women Is an Unprecedented Disaster

By

Metropolitan Museum of Art Hires First Full-Time Curator of Native American Art

By
Tags

#BecauseOfHerStory

Introducing the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative

Sidedoor: A Smithsonian Podcast

How Wonder Woman Got Her Groove Back

Stories From the Collections

The First Jogbra Was Made by Sewing Together Two Men's Athletic Supporters

An archive collected from the sports company reveals that the bra gave a boost to women's athletics
By

Businesswoman Madam C. J. Walker Started a Hair Care Empire

A tin of hair conditioner in the Smithsonian collections reveals a story of the entrepreneurial and philanthropic success of a former washerwoman
By

Works of Pioneering Photographer Constance Stuart Larrabee to Be Digitized

The work of Constance Stuart Larrabee, a pioneering photographer, will soon be digitized

The Multiple Truths in the Works of the Enslaved Poet Phillis Wheatley

In this endearing homage, poet-scholar drea brown finds ancestral and personal healing
By

Civil Rights Icon Renée Richards' Wooden Tennis Racket

After winning the New York State men's title in 1964, Richard Raskind became Renée Richards and a civil rights icon
By

Meet Lena Richard, the Celebrity Chef Who Broke Barriers in the Jim Crow South

Lena Richard was a successful New Orleans-based chef, educator, writer and entrepreneur
By

A Rare, 19th-Century Silhouette of a Same-Sex Couple Living Together

A new show, featuring the paper cutouts, reveals unheralded early Americans, as well as contemporary artists working with this old art form
By

The Youngest of the Little Rock Nine Speaks About Holding on to History

Carlotta Walls LeNier, whose school dress is in the Smithsonian, says much was accomplished and now we need to hold onto it
By

Mementos Tell The Story of The Ace Aviatrix Who Inspired Amelia Earhart

With flint and derring-do, the early 20th century pilot Ruth Law ruled American skies
By

The Unknown Designer of the First Home Pregnancy Test Is Finally Getting Her Due

Margaret Crane says it was a simple idea, but it met with enormous push back
By

Dian Fossey’s Gorilla Skulls Are a Symbol of Her Fight

At a new Smithsonian exhibition, the skulls of “Limbo” and “Green Lady” have a story to tell
By

The First Jogbra Was Made by Sewing Together Two Men’s Athletic Supporters

An archive collected from the sports company reveals that the bra gave a boost to women's athletics
By

Luisa Moreno Was Expelled From the U.S. for Her Labor Activism

The little-known story of an early champion of workers’ rights receives new recognition
By

What Made Lucretia Mott One of the Fiercest Opponents of Slavery and Sexism

Her humble Quaker upbringing taught her how to stand up for her beliefs
By

Videos

This French Woman Risked Her Life to Document Nazi Theft

How Rosa Parks' Protest Sparked a Momentous Chain of Events

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

For use in the classroom or your community, a list of lesson plans and other teaching materials on women's history in America