Special Report

Women Who Shaped History

The Smithsonian's American Women’s History Initiative is a comprehensive undertaking that documents, researches, collects, displays and shares the rich and compelling story of women in the United States. In celebration of the AWHI, Smithsonian magazine has collected representative examples of its coverage of diverse women throughout American history.

Amelia Earhart (left) and Eleanor Roosevelt (right) National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of George R. Rinhart, in memory of Joan Rinhart

Jalyn Hall (left) as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler (right) as Mamie Till-Mobley in <em>Till</em>, a new movie directed by Chinonye Chukwu

How Emmett Till's Mother Galvanized the Civil Rights Movement

Medical student Anna Searcy in 1897

These Trailblazers Were the Only Women in the Room Where It Happened

Singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn was applauded—and sometimes banned—for her daring songs about women's lives.

Country Legend Loretta Lynn Braved Controversy to Tell the Truth About Women's Experiences

Attorney Gloria Allred (left) and Norma McCorvey (right), the anonymous plaintiff in <em>Roe v. Wade</em>, during a pro-choice rally in Burbank, California, on July 4, 1989

Who Was Norma McCorvey, the Woman Behind Roe v. Wade?

Nicole Mann poses for a portrait in a T-38 trainer jet at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, in 2018.

Nicole Mann Becomes the First Native American Woman in Space

Ada Limón is the United States' 24th poet laureate.

Ada Limón Is a Poet Laureate for the 21st Century

At the Smithsonian

A western-style performance outfit worn by Patsy Cline and sewed by her mother. The suit features record-shaped patches stitched with the titles of some of Cline's records.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

When Patsy Cline Broke Through as a Country Music Phenom

Amanda Petrusich

This Bushnell telescope allowed Sally Ride to gaze at her favorite constellation, Orion, and envision her future as an astronaut.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

How the Smithsonian Is Honoring Remarkable American Women

Lonnie G. Bunch III

In the 2010 Winter Olympics Games in Vancouver, the USA's Hannah Teter (above: in action during the women's snowboard halfpipe competition) took home silver. Her boots are now in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Meet the Trailblazers in Women’s Olympic Snowboarding

“Bessie Coleman (above: with her Curtiss JN-4 "Jennie" in her custom designed flying suit, ca. 1924) was a real gutsy woman for the era,” says Dorothy Cochrane, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. "Anyone else might have quit at any time.”

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

For Pilot Bessie Coleman, Every 'No' Got Her Closer to 'Yes'

They Shaped Culture

Dora Maar or Lee Miller, Dora Maar sur fond végétal, circa 1936

The Strange Surrealist Magic of Dora Maar

Elizabeth Djinis

Joan Didion sitting in her wicker chair in 2003. The chair is one of the writer's many belongings being auctioned on November 16.

You Could Own Joan Didion's Sunglasses, Sofas and Shawls

“This homage is a call for action to support the current revolution in Iran, led by brave Iranian women risking their lives to stand up against oppression to overthrow a longtime authoritarian regime,” the Anonymous Artist Collective for Iran says.

Iranian Artists Stage Anonymous Protest at the Guggenheim Museum

The Misses Porter (as they were sometimes called) arguably created the modern historical novel, weaving fascinating, romantic tales out of facts and events culled from history books.

The Forgotten Sisters Who Pioneered the Historical Novel

Women in STEM

This Bushnell telescope allowed Sally Ride to gaze at her favorite constellation, Orion, and envision her future as an astronaut.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

How the Smithsonian Is Honoring Remarkable American Women

Lonnie G. Bunch III

This seven-foot statue of Pearl Kendrick, center, and Grace Eldering, left, was unveiled in Grand Rapids in 2019. Lab assistant Loney Clinton stands to the right with a microscope.

The Unsung Heroes Who Ended a Deadly Plague

By Richard Conniff
Photographs by Lisa Spindler

The life-size exhibit presents an inclusive vision of women excelling in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Smithsonian Honors Female Scientists With 120 Bright Orange Statues

"American Girl (above: the new doll Evette Peters) was seeking to emphasize to its young audience the importance of being able to envision themselves as part of the larger American story," writes the Smithsonian's Katrina Lashley. "And that vision requires more accessible histories, as well as role models in civic engagement."

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why This American Girl Doll Inspires Environmental Activism

Katrina Lashley

Future of Women's History

Preet Chandi trains in Chamonix before starting her journey across Antarctica.

‘Polar Preet’ Sets Out to Become the First Woman to Cross Antarctica Solo and Unsupported

Margaret Osborne

Between March 19 and April 17, 1964, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock (above: at the start of her journey at Ohio's Port Columbus Airport) flew her single-engine Cessna 180, dubbed "Charlie," solo around the globe setting a world record.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Who Was the First Woman to Fly Solo Around the World?

President Biden announced his pick to fill the US Supreme Court vacancy on Friday: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

What to Know About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Historic Nomination to the Supreme Court