In November 1861, while she was staying at Willard’s Hotel in embattled Washington, DC, Julia Ward Howe wrote the lyrics to the most famous patriotic anthem of the Civil War. “It would be impossible for me to say,” she wrote in her Reminiscences (1899), “how many times I have been called upon to rehearse the […]
4 Medieval Women Mystics
In medieval Europe, the theology and practice of Christian mysticism flourished. Mystics were those who tried to identify or pursue communion with God by meditation, visions, intuition and insight. These four women were unusual in their religious influence at a time when women were thought to be physically, mentally, and spiritually weaker than men. Christina […]
Bibha Chowdhuri, Forgotten Physicist and Researcher
Bibha Chowduri was the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in Physics. Her research into cosmic rays brought her very close to a Nobel Prize, but many of her incredible contributions have been erased from the books.
Carmen Amaya, Queen of the Gypsies
Carmen Amaya (1913–1963) was a Romani dancer who performed around the world and had a huge impact on the art of flamenco. During her lifetime she was called the greatest of dancers, and Queen of the Gypsies. Carmen Amaya is hail on a windowpane, a swallow’s cry, a black cigar smoked by a dreamer, thunderous […]
Buffalo Calf Road, Heroic Cheyenne Warrior Woman
The remarkable story of a young Cheyenne warrior woman in her early twenties, Buffalo Calf Road, spans a period of 3 years from 1876 until her death in 1879. During this time the Cheyenne were caught in the westward expansion of pioneers, miners and the army, all determined to colonize the land on the great […]
Who Invented Windshield Wipers? Mary Anderson
You may have never heard of Mary Anderson, but you’ve probably used her invention thousands of times in your life! One frosty day in 1903, Mary Anderson (1866-1953), a native of Birmingham, Alabama, was visiting New York City via a trolley car. She was trying to catch all the sights of the city’s crowded streets, […]
Who Was the First Female Lawyer in the US?
Arabella Mansfield became the first female lawyer in the United States when she was admitted to the bar in 1869. She took the bar exam when only men were legally allowed to take the test, and won a court case for her right to practice law. Early Life of Arabella Mansfield Born Belle Aurelia Babb […]
Alaska P. Davidson, the FBI’s first female Special Agent
Alaska Packard Davidson (1868–1934) became the first female Special Agent in 1922, at the age of 54. She only served for two years before being asked to resign by newly-appointed Director J. Edgar Hoover. It wasn’t until 1972, shortly after Hoover’s death and the passing of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, that women once again […]
Queen Anna of Denmark, Theater Pioneer & Patron of the Arts
Following the death of queen Elizabeth I, Queen Anna of Denmark became England’s first queen consort in over 40 years. As the wife of reigning King James I, Anna’s royal position differed vastly from Elizabeth’s. Anna after all did not have governing powers, and her position as James’ “wife” (femme covert) folded her legal identity […]
Female Knights of the Middle Ages
While female knights were rare in the Middle Ages, they did exist. Though many records have been lost to time, there are records of women being knighted. Knights in Medieval Times The Middle Ages, also called the medieval era, is the name of the period in Europe from about the 5th century to the 15th. […]