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 Morgan Hart

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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 Weld

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 Morgan Hart

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

Biography

Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height was the president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement.

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Oveta Culp Hobby

Oveta Culp Hobby served as the director of the Women’s Army Corps and first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

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Grace Hopper

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper helped to outline the fundamental operating principles of computing machines.

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Julia Ward Howe

Julia Ward Howe was a writer, lecturer, abolitionist and suffragist.

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Dolores Huerta

Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century.

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Ruby Hurley

Civil rights pioneer and campaigner, Ruby Hurley is most known for her work with the NAACP in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Hurston was a world-renowned writer and anthropologist.

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Anne Hutchinson

Considered one of the earliest American feminists, Anne Hutchinson was a spiritual leader in colonial Massachusetts who challenged male authority.

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Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson

Claudia Johnson, known as “Lady Brid Johnson” was an environmentalist, businesswoman, political activist, and First Lady.

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Mary Harris Jones

Female labor activist “Mother Jones” was a self-proclaimed “hell-raiser”.

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Helen Keller

Undeterred by deafness and blindness, Helen Keller rose to become a major 20th century humanitarian, educator and writer.

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Florence Kelley

Florence Kelley dedicated her life to social reform. She worked to end many social problems, including labor and racial discrimination.

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Coretta Scott King

Although best known for being the wife of famed civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King created her own legacy.