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Famous Firsts in American Women's History
Session of the National Woman's Suffrage Association in Chicago, 1880
Photo Galleries (6)
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Suffrage and the Women Behind It
Suffrage and the Women Behind It(7 Photos)
7 Photos
In 1920, American women voted for the first time, thanks to pro-suffrage activists such as Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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Women Factory Workers of World War II
Women Factory Workers of World War II(10 Photos)
10 Photos
During World War II, American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers. The munitions industry heavily recruited women workers, as represented by the U.S. government's "Rosie the Riveter" propaganda campaign.
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Black Women in Politics
Black Women in Politics(10 Photos)
10 Photos
View images of famous female African American politicians and activists.
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Black Women Musicians
Black Women Musicians(20 Photos)
20 Photos
View images of famous female African American singers and musicians.
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Black Women Authors
Black Women Authors(11 Photos)
11 Photos
View images of famous female African American authors.
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Black Women Athletes
Black Women Athletes(16 Photos)
16 Photos
View images of famous female African American athletes.
Videos (13)
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Women in Politics
Women in PoliticsVideo Clip (3:11)
Video Clip (3:11)
From Sandra Day O'Connor to Shirley Chisholm to Madeleine Albright, these groundbreaking American women paved the way.
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Women in the Cockpit
Women in the CockpitVideo Clip (3:52)
Video Clip (3:52)
Dawn Letson befriended a World War II veteran who was a member of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, and shares her films from WASP training camp.
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Meet Madam CJ Walker
Meet Madam CJ WalkerVideo Clip (1:49)
Video Clip (1:49)
From her rough beginnings as an orphan, Madam CJ Walker went on to corner the market in black women's hair care and became the first self-made female millionaire.
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Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
Women's Army Auxiliary CorpsVideo Clip (3:13)
Video Clip (3:13)
May 14, 1943, marked the first anniversary of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). The Women's Army Corps, a U.S. army organization created during World War II to enlist women as auxiliaries for noncombatant duty in the U.S. army. Before 1943 it was known as the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. Its first director was Oveta Culp Hobby. During World War II, WACs served as medical technicians, cartography clerks, secretaries, and the like in the United States and in all the theaters of war. Almost 100,000 had joined the WAC by 1945. Enlistment ended with the war's end, and rapid demobilization followed. But by 1946 the War Department asked for reenlistments to meet shortages in army hospitals and personnel centers. In 1948 a bill was passed by Congress formally establishing the WAC within the regular army. The WAC was dissolved in 1978.
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Lucy Burns Photograph
Lucy Burns PhotographVideo Clip (1:50)
Video Clip (1:50)
Suffrage leader Lucy Burns (1879-1966) was imprisoned at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia, probably in November 1917, after she and others were arrested for picketing the White House in support of a federal amendment granting women the right to vote.
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Women of Music
Women of MusicVideo Clip (1:28)
Video Clip (1:28)
Get the unexpected stories behind some of the most famous women in the world of popular music.
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Women of Science
Women of ScienceVideo Clip (1:19)
Video Clip (1:19)
Did you know a woman invented Liquid paper? Find out more about women's contributions to science and technology.
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Women of War
Women of WarVideo Clip (1:38)
Video Clip (1:38)
Find out the surprising stories of the unexpected ways women have served their countries in times of war.
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Ain't I a Woman?
Ain't I a Woman?Video Clip (2:58)
Video Clip (2:58)
Kerry Washington performs a speech by abolitionist and former slave, Sojourner Truth. Introduction by Viggo Mortensen.
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The Pill Begins Sexual Revolution
The Pill Begins Sexual RevolutionVideo Clip (3:35)
Video Clip (3:35)
The origin of the Pill, set to "Time of the Season" by The Season.
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Characteristics of Early Factory Girls
Characteristics of Early Factory GirlsVideo Clip (2:04)
Video Clip (2:04)
Marissa Tomei performs the words of a young factory girl preparing to strike.
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Hillary Makes History
Hillary Makes HistoryVideo Clip (3:40)
Video Clip (3:40)
On Path to the Podium, we hear about Hillary Clinton's life. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended Wellesley College. While there she was an active Republican, but that changed after the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
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Ask Steve: The Pill
Ask Steve: The PillVideo Clip (1:14)
Video Clip (1:14)
In this video clip from Ask Steve, the birth control pill and the effect it had on the population was discussed. It sparked a sexual revolution, with a decline in the baby boom and recreational sex.
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