Founders, Not Footnotes

250 YEARS OF AMERICA

Women helped build this country—their names belong in the story. In celebration of this milestone in our history, we are reflecting on 250 years of America and the women who shaped the birth of our nation.

Women and the American Revolution

Across cities, homes, and battlegrounds, women played essential roles in the fight for independence and helped shape what it meant to build a new nation.

In celebration of this milestone in our history, we are reflecting on 250 years of America through the women who helped shape our country.

Since 1776, women have been at the center of every chapter of the American story, leading movements, breaking barriers, and building the nation we know today. Yet for too long, their contributions have been reduced to whispers and footnotes, written out of the textbooks, left out of the monuments, and overlooked in the history we pass on to the next generation.

Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less.

Myra Pollack Sadker

At the National Women’s History Museum, we believe that a more accurate history is a more powerful one. As America marks its 250th anniversary, we are committed to ensuring that women are not an asterisk in this celebration, they are the headline.

That’s why we launched She Is Not a Footnote, our bold initiative to address the underrepresentation of women in history and inspire the next generation of leaders. Because when women see themselves in history, it changes how they view themselves, and how the world views them.

This semiquincentennial, we invite you to discover, preserve, and share the inspiring stories of the women who made America. Explore their contributions. Learn their names. And help us ensure that the next 250 years tell a more complete story.

A Look at the Era

From the founding era to the present day, women have shaped the laws, culture, science, and soul of this nation. Their stories have too often been left out of the history we teach and the history we celebrate; it is our goal to begin to change that. Explore key moments women had in shaping early American history in the timeline below.

Explore Stories & Resources

More stories coming soon.

Mercy Otis Warren was a published poet, political playwright and satirist during the age of the American Revolution.

Mercy Otis Warren

Among the most famous women in early American history, Pocahontas is credited with helping the struggling English settlers survive.

Pocahontas

Explore the ways that immigrant women have transformed America socially, politically, and economically.

New Beginnings

Here are just a few women who accomplished extraordinary things to advance their cause during the revolution.

Revolutionary Spies

Dolley Madison, the fourth First Lady of the United States, is widely remembered as the most lively of the early First Ladies.

Dolley Madison

Sacagawea is best known for joining Louis and Clark on their expedition westward from the Mississippi to the Pacific Coast.

Sacagawea

Phillis Wheatley was the first African American woman to publish a book of poems.

Phillis Wheatley

We all can picture the Founding Fathers, gathered in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, debating what to do about tyrannical Britain, and finally signing their names onto the Declaration of Independence. But what about the Founding Mothers?

Mythbusting the Founding Mothers

Mary Musgrove become a negotiator between English and Native American communities and played an important role in the development of Colonial Georgia.

Mary Musgrove

Celebrate with Us

Whether it’s by telling your own story, learning about women from history, or partnering with us there are many ways you can participate in and contribute to the upcoming semiquincentennial—keep checking back to learn more about upcoming events, more stories to enjoy, and ways you can help spread the word.

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Bring the Experience to You

If you are a business or organization, learn about the ways in which you can bring women’s history to your company.

Inquire

About America250
America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating and celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country. It is spearheaded by the congressionally appointed U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and its nonprofit supporting organization, America250.org, Inc. This multi-year effort kicked off with America’s Invitation on July 4, 2023: a national public engagement campaign inviting all Americans to share their stories and their hopes and dreams for the future of this country. Until July 4, 2026, America250 is working to provide opportunities for all Americans to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look to the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. To learn more, visit America250.org, and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.