Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

American women played an active role in American history. Explore some of the lesser known and famous women who impacted our nation. New biographies are regularly added, so check back to discover new stories.

Featured Biographies

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent journalist, suffragist, activist, and researcher.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Known as the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low created the largest and most successful organisation for girls in the world.

Juliette Gordon Low

Nancy Hart made it her mission to rid the Georgia territory of British Loyalists.

Nancy Hart

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Mary Baker Eddy

Mary Baker Eddy founded a popular religious movement during the 19th century, Christian Science.

Biography

Elizabeth Freeman

Elizabeth Freeman became the first African American woman to successfully file a lawsuit for freedom in the state of Massachusetts.

Biography

Betty Friedan

Journalist, activist, and co-founder of the National Organization for Women, Betty Friedan was one of the early leaders of the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

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Grace Frysinger

Teacher, lecturer, and author, Grace Frysinger supported rural communities throughout her career.

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Sarah Moore Grimké

Sarah Grimké and her sister fought for abolition and women's rights.

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Angelina Grimké

Although raised on a slave-owning plantation, Angelina Grimké Weld became an ardent abolitionist.

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Sarah Josepha Hale

Sarah Josepha Hale is best known for creating the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Her influence can also be seen in historic sites and a national holiday still widely celebrated today.

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Florence Hall

Florence Hall headed the Women's Land Army during World War II.

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Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer was one of the most important, passionate, and powerful voices of the civil and voting rights movements .

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Nancy Hart

Nancy Hart made it her mission to rid the Georgia territory of British Loyalists.

Biography

A symbolic figure in the American Revolutionary War, the woman known as “Molly Pitcher” reportedly brought water to the troops at the Battle of Monmouth and worked the cannon after her husband was wounded.

Biography