Women's History Month

All around the world, International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8. From small, informal gatherings to large, highly-organized events, this day honors women of the past, present, and future as it inspires all women to achieve their full potential. For Women's History Month, then, let's pay homage to some of America's women.

___ Virginia Dare was the first person born in America to English parents. It happened in Roanoke Island, VA.

___ Anne Bradstreet's book of poems was published in England, thus making her the first published American woman writer.

___ Mary Katherine Goddard became the first woman postmaster in the country. It was in Baltimore.

___ Deborah Samson enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment disguised as a man because women were not allowed to fight as soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

___ Mother Bernardina Matthews established a Carmelite convent near Port Tobacco, MD, the first community of Roman Catholic nuns in the original Thirteen Colonies.

___ Anne Parrish established the House of Industry in Philadelphia, the first charitable organization for women in America.

___ Mary Kies became the first woman to receive a patent. It was for a method of weaving straw with silk.

___ Elizabeth Blackwell received her M.D. degree from the Medical Institution of Geneva, NY, thus making her the first woman doctor.

___ Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was awarded a Medal of Honor for her service as a surgeon during the Civil War, the only woman to receive this highest military award.

___ Frances Elizabeth Willard became the president of Evanston College, thus making her the first woman college president.

___ Victoria Claflin Woodhull was nominated to be President of the United States by the Equal Rights Party, thus making her the first woman presidential candidate.

___ Belva Ann Lockwood became the first woman lawyer to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

___ Susanna Madora Salter became the first woman elected mayor. It happened in Argonia, KS.

___ Alice Guy Blache, as the first American woman film director, shoots her first film, La Fee aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy).

___ Women were first allowed to compete in the Olympics. They numbered 19 out of 1,225 athletes.

___ Kate Gleason became the first woman president of the First National Bank of East Rochester, thus making her the first woman president of a national bank.

___ Edith Wharton was the first American woman novelist to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It was awarded for her novel, The Age of Innocence.

___ All American women were granted the right to vote by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

___ Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman governor, being elected to replace her deceased husband in Wyoming.

___ Janet Gaynor became the first woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

___ Jackie Mitchell was signed to be a pitcher for the Chattanooga Baseball Club, thus making her the first woman in organized baseball.

___ Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

___ Frances Perkins was appointed Secretary of Labor, thus making her the first woman member of a presidential cabinet.

___ Lettie Pate Whitehead became the first American woman director of a major corporation. It was the Coca-Cola Company.

___ Annie G. Fox was the first woman to receive the Purple Heart.

___ Jerrie Cobb was the first Americn woman to undergo astronaut testing.

___ Birth control pills were approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

___ Muriel Siebert was the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

___ Susan Lynn Roley and Joanne E. Pierce became the first women FBI agents.

___ Dr. Sally K. Ride became the first American woman in space.

___ Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as the first woman, and Hispanic, U.S. Surgeon General.

___ Lt. Kendra Williams, USN, became the first U.S. woman combat pilot to bomb an enemy target. It was during Operation Desert Fox in Iraq.

___ Julia Roberts became the first actress to earn the same top-dollar amount as men for starring in a movie.

___ Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Activities

1. I intentionally left out the dates so your children can do the research and create a timeline.

2. Categorize the events above and list the appropriate women's names in each.

3. Find out about other women by areas of interest or decades.

4. Choose a country and find out about its women's progress.

Always believe in yourself!!

I hope these ideas are useful and have inspired your own creativity.