Harriet Tubman

Description

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1820. After her escape to the North in 1849, she returned to the South more than a dozen times to ferry other slaves along the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his Harper's Ferry raid; and during the Civil War, Tubman served as a Union spy. In this lecture, historian Catherine Clinton details not only Tubman's life but also the quest to uncover new information on Tubman.

Women of Protest: Images from the Records of the National Woman's Party

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Photo, Lucy Burns in Occoquan. . . , Harris and Ewing, 1917, Women of Protest
Annotation

This combined archive and exhibit offers a selection of 448 photographs from the Library's National Woman's Party (NWP) collection that "document the National Woman's Party's push for ratification of the 19th Amendment as well as its later campaign for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment." Photographs span the years 1875 to 1938, but most date from 1913 to 1922. Visitors can browse photographs by title or subject or search the descriptive information. The site has a photo gallery of more than 50 photographs depicting NWP activists who were arrested and imprisoned for their role in suffrage protests. Additionally, the site provides a timeline of the National Woman's Party from 1912 to 1997 that places it in historical context. The site also provides three essays: on the tactics and techniques of the National Woman's Party suffrage campaign, a historical overview of the NWP, and on leaders of the NWP.

The Woman's Building Library at the World's Columbian Exposition

Description

From the Library of Congress Webcasts site:

"On May 1, 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago opened its gates to an expectant public eager to experience firsthand its architectural beauty, technological marvels and vast array of cultural treasures gathered from all over the world. Among the most popular of the fair's attractions was the Woman's Building, a monumental exhibit hall filled with the products of women's labor, including more than 8,000 volumes of writing, by women and collected by women—the first important library of its kind. Hundreds of thousands of women visited the library and took what they learned to develop local libraries."

An American Family: The Beecher Tradition

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Photo, Picture of the Beecher family, Matthew Brady, c. 1850
Annotation

This exhibit, based on an exhibit at the William and Anita Newman Library of the City University of New York, explores the history of the Beechers, a New England family influential in religious, abolitionist, and women's rights movements. The site provides 500-word biographies, photographs, and excerpts from letters for seven members of the Beecher family, beginning with patriarch Lyman Beecher, Presbyterian minister and President of Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati. It also profiles Lyman's two wives; five of his children, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin and more than 30 other works; and his great-granddaughter Charlotte Perkins Gilman, women's rights activist and author of Women and Economics. The site also offers links to six related websites and a bibliography of six related scholarly works. It is a good resource for those researching abolitionism, women's rights, or the lives of the Beechers.

Agents of Social Change: 20th-Century Women's Activism

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Photo, Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Dan Wynn, c. 1970
Annotation

Selected materials from the personal papers of Mary Metlay Kaufman, Dorothy Kenyon, Constance Baker Motley, Jessie Lloyd O'Connor, Frances Fox Piven, and Gloria Steinem. Also includes papers of the National Congress of Neighborhood Women (NCNW) and the Women's Action Alliance (WAA). The six women and two organizations are introduced with biographical essays (300-700 words). For each woman, the site provides from three to six texts, of 100 to 1,000 words, including correspondence, photographs, articles written by or about them, and bulletins and newsletters for movements with which they worked. Material includes fan mail received by Steinem, a letter from William Z. Foster to Kaufman, and a five-page speech Motley made to the Children's Organization for Civil Rights.

Papers for the NCNW include two photos, one poster, a brochure, and six pages of projects and activities. The WAA exhibit presents one photo, a press release, a mission statement, and a brochure. There are six high school lesson plans using the primary documents. The site will be useful for research in 20th-century feminism and women's activism.

Resources for Women's History Month

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With Teachinghistory.org's women's history resources and the rich resources available elsewhere on the Web, you can find ideas and materials for any time period, topic, or grade level. Whether you're covering well-known events like the Seneca Falls Convention or helping your students uncover little-known figures from history, primary sources, digital tools, and thoughtful teaching strategies can bring women's history to life in March—and in every month of the year!

Start your search for resources on our Women's History Month spotlight page, where you'll find website reviews, lesson plans, quizzes, videos, and other materials that encourage historical thinking.

Need even more resources? Try these suggestions for exploring Women's History Month materials beyond Teachinghistory.org:

  • Explore the Library of Congress's resources through its Women's History Month gateway.
  • Follow the links in the National Archive's guide to resources on women to discover primary sources on African American women, women in the military, women in politics, women's suffrage, and more.
  • Discover teaching resources, online exhibits, and other resources from the Smithsonian Institution, via its Women's History Month heritage page.
  • Learn about National Register of Historic Places sites related to women's history courtesy of the National Park Service's annotated list.
  • Download lesson plans on women writers, politicians, artists, activists, soldiers, and civil servants from EDSITEment.
  • Browse the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History's online journal History Now for essays and lesson plans on topics including women in reform movements, abolitionists, suffrage, the West, and more.
  • Read President Barack Obama's 2012 Women's History Month proclamation at the White House website.
  • Read up on the lives of women athletes, leaders, activists, and more on Bio.com.
  • Watch videos, view photos, and read essays on HISTORY.com's Women's History Month page.

Remember not to limit teaching about women in U.S. history to March! Many of these resources, as well as our spotlight page, are available year-round.

Women of the Revolution

Description

From Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present Podcasts

"Could the Revolution have been won without women? Author and Professor Holly Mayer thinks not. Learn more about the inner workings of the Continental Army."

The Colonial Williamsburg site also has an informative essay that offers interested readers more information on the roles women played during the Revolutionary War.

Martha Leads the Charge

Description

From Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present Podcasts

"While General George Washington commanded the troops in the field, Martha led the charge at home. Historic Interpreter Lee Ann Rose describes the impact women made during the Revolution."

Colonial Williamsburg also offers more biographical information on Martha Washington.

The Art of Beauty

Description

From Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present Podcasts

"Attaining ideal beauty in the 18th century might require hog's lard, mousehide, toxic lead, and daily application of gin. Historical Interpreter Meg Brown shares her favorite discoveries."

Interested in making your own colonial cosmetic products? Click here for authentic 18th century recipes to cure dry-skin, freshen rooms, and create body fragrances.