Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818)
Abigail Adams was not only an early advocate for women’s rights, but she was also a vital confidant and advisor to her husband John Adams, the nation’s second president.
A formerly enslaved woman, Sojourner Truth became an outspoken advocate for abolition, temperance, and civil and women’s rights in the nineteenth century.
Susan B. Anthony was a champion of the temperance, abolition, and suffrage movements.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first American women to receive a medical degree.
Undeterred by deafness and blindness, Helen Keller rose to become a major 20th century humanitarian, educator, and writer.
Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar, Maya Angelou is a world-famous author. She is best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020)
Ginsburg became the second woman--and first Jewish woman--to serve on the Supreme Court.
Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City.
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. She made her journey into history on June 18, 1983. Throughout her life, Dr. Ride broke barriers and worked to ensure that girls and women were encouraged to do the same.
At only 6 years old, Ruby Bridges was the first Black child to enter an all-white school in the South, making her a household name. Presently, the Ruby Bridges Foundation and Bridges herself continue to host speaking engagements and write children’s books to strive for an end to racism in America.
Kamala Harris is the first woman, first Black American, and first South Asian American to become Vice President.
Considered the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, and perhaps the greatest athlete of all time, Serena Williams has revolutionized women’s tennis since the 1990s.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (1989- )
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (commonly referred to by her initials, AOC) is the youngest woman and youngest Latina to ever serve in the United States Congress.
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In America's Golden Age of Invention (1865 to 1900), thousands of patents were filed by inventors from all over the country, 5500 of which were filed by women. Sybilla Masters was the first American, male or female, to receive a patent in 1715 for a corn mill invention; however, due to her status as a married woman, the patent was addressed to her husband, Thomas. Mary Kies was the first American woman to receive a patent from the United States government for a machine that wove straw and silk for fashionable hats.
Despite female inventors having played a large role in U.S. history, they haven’t always received credit for their work. Women of color in particular, have frequently had their contributions downplayed and overlooked. Still, women have persisted and continued to create some of the world's most notable inventions, including:
The Life Raft - Maria E. Beasley - 1880
In the early 1880s, aa new wave of European immigrants sailed to the United States, a Philadelphia inventor named Marie E. Beasley designed an improved life raft, featuring guard rails to help keep people inside during emergencies.
Josephine Garis Cochran was a widow in Shelbyville, Illinois when she started building a dishwashing machine. Previous attempts at dishwashers had used scrubbers, but Cochran’s “dish-washing machine”—which she patented in 1886—used water pressure to clean the dishes.
The Car Heater - Margaret A. Wilcox - 1893Margaret A. Wilcox, an engineer in Chicago, was the first person to patent an automobile heater. Wilcox’s 1893 design used heat from the car’s engine to keep drivers and passengers warm during trips.
The Home Security System - Marie Van Brittan Brown - 1969Marie Van Brittan Brown was a Black nurse and inventor in New York City who, together with her husband, Albert Brown, patented the first home security system in 1969 to feel safer upon returning home from work late at night.
Cataract Treatment - Patricia E. Bath - 1988Patricia E. Bath was the first Black American to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first Black female doctor to patent a medical device in the United States. The device she invented was the Laserphaco Probe, which removed cataracts—cloudy blemishes in the eye that can lead to vision loss.
Stem Cell Isolation - Ann Tsukamoto - 1991Ann Tsukamoto, an Asian American scientist, was part of the team that patented the first method of isolating blood-forming stem cells in 1991. Tsukamoto holds a total of 12 U.S. patents for her stem cell research, which has helped with the development of cancer treatments.