For centuries, women have used activism in the United States to voice their concerns about society and secure their rights as citizens.
Women and the American Story
Produced in partnership with the New York Historical Society, this series on Women in the American Story illuminates diverse women’s contributions to the American past. You can visit the WAMS project here: https://wams.nyhistory.org/
Emma Tenayuca: Latina Labor Activist
The story of Emma Tenayuca, Latina labor activist in San Antonio, Texas, in the 1930s
Malitzen: Enslaved Interpreter for Hernan Cortés
Malitzen is considered by many to have hastened the fall of the Aztec empire. But as an enslaved woman she lacked the freedom to make her own decisions.
Elizabeth Freeman: Abolition Pioneer
Elizabeth Freeman legally won her fight for emancipation years before the abolition of slavery in America.
Zitkala-Ša: Advocate for the Rights of Native People
Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, aka Zitkala-Sa, an activist, author and educator, fought against the Americanization of Native nations.
Ida B Wells: Journalist and Activist
Exposing the horrors of racism in the American South wasn’t easy, but investigative journalist Ida B. Wells made it her mission.
Chien-Shiung Wu: The First Lady of Physics
The story of Chien-Shiung Wu – the first lady of physics and one the first female science professors in the USA
Lorenda Holmes: Loyalist Spy of the American Revolution
The story of Lorenda Holmes, loyalist spy during the American Revolution