On this day in 1972, the U.S. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment. To this day, it has still not been ratified. The main purpose of the Equal Rights Amendment was to guarantee equal rights for all citizens of the United States regardless of sex, so that there would be no legal differences between the rights of men and women. It mandates that: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” The Equal Rights Amendment was originally written by suffragists Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, and was first introduced to Congress over 50 years before it was passed, in 1923. Alice Paul was instrumental in the passing of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Crystal Eastman was an author and suffragist. She was a co-founder and co-editor with her brother, Max Eastman, of the magazine The Liberator, which was very radical for its time. Resources for your Research: 1. "The Equal Rights Amendment: What You Need To Know." - for a full explanation of the Equal Rights Amendment 2. "Alice Paul." - for a full bio on Alice Paul 3. "Crystal Eastman." - for a full bio on Crystal Eastman Citations: 1. "The Equal Rights Amendment: What You Need To Know." Center For American Progress. Accessed March 22, 2021. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/01/29/479917/equal-rights-amendment-need-know/ 2. "Alice Paul." National Women's History Museum. Accessed March 22, 2021. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/alice-paul 3. "Equal Rights Amendment." Wikipedia. Accessed March 22, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment 4. "Crystal Eastman." Wikipedia. Accessed March 22, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Eastman On March 10, 1898, Josephine Groves Holloway, the woman who started the first Girl Scouts troop for African American girls, was born. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, graduating in 1923. After graduating, she started scouting for girls at the Bethlehem Center, a house-home for at-risk girls and women. After marrying, she stopped working there. In 1933, when her eldest daughter turned six, she petitioned the Nashville Girl Scout Council to start a girl scouts troop for African American girls. They refused, and so she started an unofficial troop for black girls. She encouraged her friends to do the same, and in 1942, there were so many unofficial African American Girl Scouts troops that the Council could not ignore them anymore, so they officially recognized them as Girl Scouts Troops. Two years later, Holloway was hired to be a field advisor for the organization. In 1951, the Council started integrating black and white Girl Scouts troops, which was completed in 1962. Josephine Groves was instrumental in integrating Girl Scouts troops and therefore empowering all girls, regardless or race.
Resources for your own Research: 1. "Her Story: Josephine Groves Holloway." - for a full biography 2. "Honoring Josephine Groves Holloway during Black History Month." - for more info 3. "Write it! - Day 22 | Josephine Holloway." - for a video biography Citations: 1. "Josephine Groves Holloway." Wikipedia. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Groves_Holloway 2. "Josephine Holloway." Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. Accessed March 11, 2021. https://gsmidtn.org/about-us/josephine-holloway/ 3. "Her Story: Josephine Groves Holloway." She Made History. Accessed March 11, 2021. http://shemadehistory.com/her-story-josephine-holloway/ Queen Anne, after the death of her husband, sister, and brother-in-law, became the Queen of England. For a long time, historians had a negative view of her. Sarah Churchill, one of her suspected lovers, wrote in her memoir of Anne:
"She certainly meant well and was not a fool, but nobody can maintain that she was wise, nor entertaining in conversation. She was ignorant in everything but what the parsons had taught her when a child ... Being very ignorant, very fearful, with very little judgement, it is easy to be seen she might mean well, being surrounded with so many artful people, who at last compassed their designs to her dishonour." However, in the last 40 years or so, historians have adopted a more positive view on Anne. In his biography published in 1980, Edward Gregg wrote of Anne: "...a period of significant progress for the country: Britain became a major military power on land, the union of England and Scotland created a united kingdom of Great Britain, and the economic and political base for the golden age of the 18th century was established. However, the Queen herself has received little credit for these achievements and has long been depicted as a weak and ineffectual monarch, dominated by her advisers." There are also many rumors that Queen Anne was a lesbian, or that she had affairs with women. A lot of this was just petty gossip, but there is evidence, found in their personal letters, of a relationship between Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and Queen Anne. This inspires excitement in history lovers like me who identify as LGBTQ+, but we also do not know if it is true or not. One thing that is important to remember, however, is that there have ALWAYS been LGBTQ+ people in the world. It's just that they had to hide it or that they never got a chance to explore that part of themselves. In April I will be writing a more extensive article on Queen Anne, but for now, here are some resources to check out! Resources for your own Research: - "Was The Favourite's Queen Anne Gay? - History of Lesbian and Queer Royal Monarchs." - for more info on the possibility of Queen Anne being a lesbian - "Anne | Biography, Reign & Facts." - for a general biography Citations: - "Anne, Queen of Great Britain."Wikipedia. Accessed March 8, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne,_Queen_of_Great_Britain#Legacy - "Was The Favourite's Queen Anne Gay? - History of Lesbian and Queer Royal Monarchs." Town & Country Magazine. Accessed March 8, 2021. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a26329584/the-favourite-royal-family-queer-history-gay-lesbian-monarchs/ - "Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough." Wikipedia. Accessed March 8, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Churchill,_Duchess_of_Marlborough On this day in 1922, sharpshooter Annie Oakley broke all existing records of female trap-shooting. She hit 98 out of 100 clay targets, from a distance of 16 feet. She was 62 at the time, and died 3 years later.
Annie Oakley, or Phoebe Ann Mosey, was a supporter of the women’s rights movement as well as a glass-ceiling breaker in general. She helped break stereotypes of what women are supposed to be with her talent in sharpshooting. Resources for your own Research -
Citations -
Anne Sullivan & Helen Keller, 1897 Anne Sullivan: Who Was She?
Anne Sullivan was the teacher and lifelong companion of the well-known Helen Keller. But who was she? Anne Mansfield Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866, in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. At the age of 5, she was diagnosed with an eye disease called trachoma, which resulted in her being partially blind and without reading or writing skills. Her childhood was very difficult, with her mother dying when she was 8 and her father abandoning her and her siblings soon after. She was sent to live at the Tewksbury Almshouse, where disabled and/or poor people were sent to live. The conditions were horrifying and it was likely very traumatic for Sullivan. However, during her time at the almshouse she was able to receive treatment for her blindness that gave her limited, short-term relief. She also learned that there are schools for blind people, and it became her main goal of her childhood to get into one of them. Her life changed greatly when she reached that dream and started attending Perkins School For The Blind in 1880. At age 20, she graduated as valedictorian of her class. Her graduation speech was thus: “....duty bids us go forth into active life. Let us go cheerfully, hopefully, and earnestly, and set ourselves to find our especial part. When we have found it, willingly and faithfully perform it; for every obstacle we overcome, every success we achieve tends to bring man closer to God." Almost immediately after graduation, Sullivan began teaching Helen Keller. Keller was blind, mute, and deaf, and her father was searching for a good teacher with whom she could learn how to communicate better. Sullivan was immediately recommended to him. Upon Sullivan’s arrival at the Keller home in Tuscambia, Alabama, Sullivan actually got into an argument with Keller’s parents about the Civil War and the fact that the Kellers were slaveholders. But upon meeting Helen, they clearly had a connection. The two would remain companions for 49 years. Originally, Sullivan’s curriculum was very strict. But she soon realized that this did not suit Keller, and so she changed it to suit her. Rather than introducing new words constantly, she took a slower approach, teaching her words that corresponded with what she was interested in at the time. Sullivan taught Keller new words by drawing the shapes of the letters on Keller’s palm. These methods proved to work when, six months into teaching, Keller had learnt 575 words, some multiplication tables, and the Braille system. In 1888, Keller’s parents, after Sullivan strongly encouraging it, sent Keller to Perkins School for the Blind. Sullivan accompanied her and it is said that this is when their friendship really blossomed. Keller became a symbol for the school, helping it fundraise and improve. Sullivan and Keller remained companions for the rest of Sullivan’s life, with Sullivan assisting Keller in her educational and career pursuits. When Anne married John Albert Macy in 1905, he moved in with Keller and Sullivan, who were already living together, as Sullivan was still Keller’s personal teacher. John and Anne’s marriage faded away not to long after, however. Sullivan had no children. During Sullivan’s lifetime and after, Helen Keller made many strides for the rights of disabled people and women. Anne Sullivan died in 1936, with Helen Keller holding her hand. Anne Sullivan was a talented teacher, loving friend, and should serve as a huge source of inspiration for all people. Resources for your Research: 1. "Anne Sullivan - Biography." - for a detailed biography 2. "Anne Sullivan Found 'the Fire of a Purpose' Through Teaching Helen Keller - Biography." - For research on Anne & Helen's relationship 3. "Anne Sullivan." - for a detailed biography on Anne Sullivan 4. "Helen Keller." - for a detailed biography on Helen Keller 5. "Anne's Formative Years: 1866-1886." - For research on Anne Sullivan's childhood Citations: 1. "Anne Sullivan." Wikipedia. Accessed March 2, 2021. 2. "Anne Sullivan." Biography.com. Accessed March 2, 2021. 3. "Anne Sullivan." Perkins School for the Blind. Accessed March 2, 2021. 4. "Helen Keller." Wikipedia. Accessed March 2, 2021. 5. "Tewksbury Almshouse." American Foundation for the Blind. Accessed March 2, 2021. (Trigger Warning: Abuse) 6. "Helen Keller FAQ." Perkins School for the Blind. March 2, 2021. This image is in the public domain. Martha Washington, nee Dandridge, is most well known for simply being the wife of the first president of the United States, George Washington. But who was she, apart from her husband?
Martha Dandridge was born on June 2, 1731, on her parent’s plantation in the Virginia Colony. Unlike most girls of the time, she was taught to read and write at a young age, enabling her to be an avid reader and writer for the rest of her life. She was the eldest sister to seven siblings, as well as a possible illegitimate half-sister, Ann Dandridge Costin, who was born into slavery. At age 18, Martha was married to 38-year-old Daniel Parke Custis. Together, they had four children, two of which survived to young-adulthood, however Martha outlived all of them. At age 25, she found herself a wealthy widow when her husband died on July 8, 1757. Daniel left her a large inheritance of around 17,500 acres of land and 300 slaves, as well as lots of investments and cash. She independently owned all of this for a year, as well as, according to her biographer, “capably [running] the five plantations left to her when her first husband died, bargaining with London merchants for the best tobacco prices.", until she married George Washington at age 27, on January 6, 1759. Since they lived in the same area, it is likely that George knew the Custis’s before Daniel’s death. They never had any children together, but they raised Martha’s surviving children together, as well as financially supporting their extended families. The Washington family hit with hardship, however, when Patsy, one of the Custis children, died from a seizure at age 17. Since her husband was usually off traveling for business and the war, Martha was often the main manager of the household. In the winters, she stayed with Geroeg in the military encampments, helping out however she could. Tragedy struck again with Martha’s last son, Jacky’s death during the Revolution. Martha and George adopted two of his children, who lived at Mount Vernon while they grew up and were raised by their grandparents. After the colonists won the American Revolutionary War, George Washington was asked to assume the office of the President, as the first President of the United States. Martha was not in support of George accepting the offer, but she still served as a great First Lady. Every Friday evening, she held “levees”, where citizens of the U.S. could come and discuss matters with her. George also held his own weekly levees, but those ones were much more formal than Martha’s more sociable ones. She wanted to be seen as a normal person to the public of the U.S. These receptions were based on the European tradition of the king holding levees in which he could hear from the people. George Washington died on December 14, 1799. It is said that Martha’s health declined after her husband’s death. In George’s will, he indicated that upon Martha’s death, all of his slaves, which would become hers upon his death, would all be freed. Out of fear that her slaves would murder her to get their freedom, she freed them all early, in 1801. Martha Washington died on May 22, 1802. She left her inheritance to her grandchildren, and, unfortunately, did not emancipate any of her own slaves in her lifetime or in her will. Resources for your own Research:
On March 1st, 1987, Congress passed a resolution making March officially Women’s History Month in the United States of America. But how did March become Women’s History Month?
Originally, Women’s History Month was actually just a week long, called Women’s History Week. It all began when the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned the first Women’s History Week in 1978, which was to be celebrated in Santa Rosa, California. The week of March 8 was selected for the event, to correspond with International Women’s Day (March 8). In the following years, the tradition of celebrating women’s contributions in this one week of the year spread across the country. In 1980, a collection of women’s groups and historians, who were led by the National Women’s History Alliance, succeeded in lobbying for national recognition of Women’s History Week. That February, President Jimmy Carter issued the first ever presidential proclamation recognizing the week of March 8 as Women’s History Week, in it stating that: “From the first settlers that came to our shores, from the first [Native American] families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation.” In the following years, it became custom that the president would issue a proclamation marking March as Women’s History Week for that year. In 1987, as stated above, Congress passed a resolution that made March officially Women’s History Month in the U.S. The National Women’s History Alliance selects the theme of each year’s Women’s History Month (this year’s is on the suffragette movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century). Since 1995, presidents have continued to write and publish these annual proclamations of March as Women’s History Month, all of them in some way celebrating and recognizing the contributions that women have made in the history of the United States. It is vital that we all ensure we are learning history from a variety of perspectives, as well as learning about the history of all people of the world, not just some. Resources for Further Research:
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the authorHello there! I'm Gemma, and I love women's history! archive
May 2021
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