American Women's History Initiative

Women of the Signal Corps run General Pershing's switchboard at the First Army headquarters.

Women On the Frontlines of WWI Came to Operate Telephones

The “Hello Girls” risked their lives to run military communications—and were denied recognition when they returned home

Portrait of women shirtwaist strikers holding copies of "The Call," a socialist newspaper, in 1910

The American Garment Workers Who Helped Inspire International Women’s Day

Jobs in the garment industry were some of the first to empower women in the industrial workforce

African-American Girl Scouts chat at a camp named after Josephine Holloway, who pioneered scouting for girls of color.

Girl Scouting Was Once Segregated

Though the Girl Scouts of the USA initially declared itself a space for all girls, the reality was different for girls of color

At the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas, 20,000 women convened to debate the issues that affected them. Here, Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-N.Y.), wearing her trademark hat, and Betty Friedan (left, in red coat).

The 1977 Conference on Women's Rights That Split America in Two

Feminism and the conservative movement clashed over issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights

The head of the suffragist parade in Washington, 1913.

The Original Women's March on Washington and the Suffragists Who Paved the Way

They fought for the right to vote, but also advanced the causes for birth control, civil rights and economic equality

Anti-war demonstrators raise their hands toward the White House as they protest the shootings at Kent State University and the U.S. incursion into Cambodia, on May 9, 1970.

Eleven Times When Americans Have Marched in Protest on Washington

Revisiting some of the country’s most memorable uses of the right to assemble

Harriet Tubman in 1911. The later years of her life are being preserved at a new national historical park that bears her name.

Harriet Tubman Is Getting Her Own National Historical Park

The park will tell the story of Tubman’s later years

Fragment from a flag that read "'Kaiser' Wilson Banner East Gate White House Monday, August 13, 1917." The original banner read "Kaiser Wilson Have You Forgotten Your Sympathy With the Poor Germans Because They Were Not Self-Governed? 20,000,000 American Women Are Not Self-Governed. Take the Beam Out of Your Own Eye"

'Mr. President, How Long Must Women Wait For Liberty?'

In January 1917, women took turns picketing the White House with a voice empowered by American democracy

Vera Rubin makes observations through the Flagstaff Telescope.

Five Things to Know About Boundary-Breaking Astronomer Vera Rubin

Her observations confirmed the theory of dark matter, and her activism helped open science to more women

The tea bag made it possible to brew a single cup of tea rather than a whole pot.

Ever Wonder Who Invented the Tea Bag?

Its two competing origin stories are linked by one thing: convenience

John Glenn stands in the NASA mailroom surrounded by thousands of letters sent to him.

John Glenn and the Sexism of the Early Space Program

Fan mail sent to the astronaut reveals the rigidity of gender roles in the 1960s

Gwen Ifill died today. She was 61.

Five Things to Know About Gwen Ifill

The late, great reporter turned curiosity into a career that changed journalism

These Women Reporters Went Undercover to Get the Most Important Scoops of Their Day

Writing under pseudonyms, the so-called girl stunt reporters of the late 19th century played a major role in exposing the nation's ills

Melba Roy led the group of human computers who tracked the Echo satellites in the 1960s.

The True Story of "Hidden Figures," the Forgotten Women Who Helped Win the Space Race

A new book and movie document the accomplishments of NASA’s black “human computers” whose work was at the heart of the country’s greatest battles

Scenes from the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Rise of the Modern Sportswoman

Women have long fought against the assumption that they are weaker than men, and the battle isn’t over yet

A few of the Olympians pose for a photo upon their return to the U.S. after the 1936 Games. In the back row, on the far right is Tidye PIckett and third from the left is Louise Stokes.

Sports History Forgot About Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes, Two Black Olympians Who Never Got Their Shot

Thanks to the one-two punch of racism and sexism, these two women were shut out of the hero’s treatment given to other athletes

These Anti-Suffrage Postcards Warned Against Giving Women the Vote

There are always those who resist societal change

A statue of the people present at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention can be seen at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls.

Five Things to Know About the Declaration of Sentiments

From seating to suffrage, here’s why the document is relevant today

A portrait photograph of Victoria Woodhull.

Victoria Woodhull Ran for President Before Women Had the Right to Vote

Her 1872 campaign platform focused on women’s rights and sexual freedom

Mary Kies' patented technique wove silk and straw together to make fetching bonnets like this 1815 specimen.

Meet Mary Kies, America’s First Woman to Become a Patent Holder

Brains plus bonnets equal a historic first

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