15 Groundbreaking Little-known Women from the 19th Century | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

15 Groundbreaking Little-known Women from the 19th Century

The ladies you DIDN'T hear about in history class

Lydia Solodiuk
Jul 19, 2017
Mount Holyoke College
189
15 Groundbreaking Little-known Women from the 19th Century
scholastic.com

HIStory often forgets to record or erases the contributions of women espicially in the 19th century and before when recordkeeping wasn't as good. Then history books love to simplify things, focus on wars and politics or only discuss wives of famous men. So I've lined up 16 groundbreaking American women from the 19th century who often aren't put in history books.

Thanks to this awesome site that had a list of women of color so I could make my own list more inclusive.

1. Margaret Fuller

Writer, Editor of the Transcendentalist journal The Dial

2. Mary Lyon

Founder of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary the first institution for higher education for women in the United States

3. Ida B. Wells

Activist for suffrage and anti-lynching, journalists, one of the founders of the NAACP

4. Alice Paul

Suffragist who was jailed for her protests and activism

5. Nellie Bly

The pen name of Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, writer and investigative journalist

6. Helen Keller

Author, activist, earned a BA degree as a deaf-blind woman

7. Carrie Nation

Fierce, often violent advocate for temperance/anti-alcohol

8. Fannie Fern

Female journalist and novelist who was the highest paid writer in the United States for a time.

9. Madam C. J. Walker

First female millionaire in the U.S., entrepreneur, philanthropist

10. Dorthea Dix

Advocate for the mentally ill, Civil War nurse

11. Isabella Stewart Gardner

Boston philanthropist, art collector

12. Sarah and Angelina Grimke

They were from a Southern Slave-owning family who moved north to become Abolitionists and advocates for women's education.

13. Elizabeth Blackwell

While a UK citizen, she was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States and lived a good part of her life in the United States.

14.Cathay Williams

Cross-dressing black Civil War soldier

15. Queen Liliuokalani

Queen of Hawaiian Islands, defender of Hawaiian sovereignty.

(Technically she wouldn't have considered herself American, but I included her as a courageous fighter against American colonialism)

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

AI music threatens creativity

The Soul of Sound: How AI Challenges Human Expression in Music

330491
Humans and robots face off in a rock band battle with guitars and drums, under dynamic lighting.
StableDiffusion

In an age where artificial intelligence can mimic the voice of Freddie Mercury or reimagine pop hits as synthwave ballads, a new frontier has emerged — one that blurs the line between innovation and erosion. While AI offers undeniable benefits in technical domains, its intrusion into creative arts, especially music, raises urgent questions. Not just about copyright, but about culture, education, and the very soul of artistic expression.


Keep Reading...Show less
ai generated music
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

Miami University
665835
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
music
Entertainment

Why Your Astrological Sign May Not Match Your Personality

We are all more than just one sign.

SUNY Plattsburgh
581003
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
astrology
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

UNC Greensboro
562661
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
spring
Relationships

The Importance Of Being A Good Person

An open letter to the good-hearted people.

Sacred Heart University
843428
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
good person

Trending Topics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments