Despite scrapped plans to build a museum site under Trump, the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum went ahead with an oral history project.
Women in History
Explore some of the women who shaped history through food, journalism, activism, science, politics and the arts in our original profiles.
She Shot Factories, Dictators and History — Up Close
The groundbreaking photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White grabbed her camera and headed to the riskiest places.
The Indigenous Women Chefs Reviving Native American Cuisine
Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous communities shaped the original cuisines of North America. Today, Native chefs are reclaiming that history.
The Female WWII Reporter Who Broadcast Alongside Murrow’s Boys
Mary Marvin Breckenridge Patterson was the lone woman in the group of foreign correspondents known as “Murrow’s Boys.”
The First American Journalist Expelled from Nazi Germany Was a Woman
Dorothy Thompson was a World War II reporter and broadcaster who challenged fascism and redefined women’s voices in public life.
She Exposed the Darkest Aspects of American History
Ida B. Wells investigated lynchings in the South and campaigned for justice.
Ten Days in the Madhouse: Nellie Bly’s Undercover Mission Inside an Insane Asylum
Nellie Bly reported from the frontlines, went undercover in asylums and factories, and forever changed American journalism.
Elena Zelayeta: The Blind Chef Reinventing Mexican-American Cuisine
She elevated Mexican cuisine in America, and later enjoyed success as a cookbook author and TV host despite a disability that once plunged her into despair.
Edna Lewis: The Grande Dame of Southern Cuisine
This celebrated Virginia chef introduced the farm-to-table movement and showed the rest of the country the fresh flavors of Southern cuisine.
Lena Richard: The Creole Chef Who Built a Culinary Empire
Down in the Big Easy, a Creole chef experiments with bold flavors and becomes one of the first multihyphenate food personalities, even as her life is cut short.
Cecilia Chiang: Bringing Authentic Chinese Cuisine to America
In San Francisco, an immigrant restaurateur brings authentic Chinese cuisine to the U.S. via The Mandarin. It’s a love letter to her childhood in China, pre-Communist Revolution.
MFK Fisher: The Woman Who Invented the Food Memoir
Our 6-episode podcast kicks off with the California writer who invented the food memoir. Long before Anthony Bourdain, there was a woman who taught us how to enjoy food, drink and life.
She Was a Pioneering Voice for the Environment
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, author and conservationist who transformed the way we think about the pollution of our natural world.
She Advocated for Intersectional Feminism — in the 19th Century
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was an abolitionist, suffragist and prolific writer.
She Fought for Her People’s Rights — and to Safeguard Native American Culture
Zitkála-Šá was a prolific writer and activist who co-founded the National Council of American Indians. And she penned the first ever Native opera.
Remembering the Godmother of Title IX
When Bernice Sandler was told she was “too strong for a woman” she dedicated her life to breaking down barriers.
This One-Time Maid Marched With MLK and Became a Powerful Voice for Domestic Workers
Dorothy Bolden spent her early years working as a maid – then she became their most powerful political organizer.
Back When Women Couldn’t Get Loans Without Male Co-Signers, This Bank Made History
Grace L. Williams tells the story of the Denver women who launched the Women’s Bank in 1978 – and changed the banking game forever.
10 Books to Help You Learn About Black History
These Black women authors — including Alice Walker and Maya Angelou — paint powerful pictures of Black history and show how it shapes our present.
160 Years After Service, Harriet Tubman is Honored as a One-Star General
Tubman, most notable for freeing hundreds of slaves, became the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. military during the Civil War.
Her Photos Captured a Side of War Not Seen Before
In a career cut tragically short, Gerda Taro was the world’s first female war photographer
Her Career Challenged Stereotypes — and So Did Her Most Famous Photo
Frances B. Johnston served as the White House’s first official photographer but captured far more when it came to American identity.
She Turned a Crime Committed Against Her into Art
Artemisia Gentileschi was not only a supremely talented Renaissance artist, but a feminist painter ahead of her time.
The Victorian Photographer Who Changed Portrait Photography Forever
At age 48, Julia Margaret Cameron picked up a camera for the first time and – long before artsy Instagram filters – popularized the soft-focus close-up.
This Renaissance Painter Dared to Paint Herself
Catharina van Hemessen is believed to be the first artist – male or female – to ever paint a portrait of themselves at the easel.
Remembering Sandra Day O’Connor, the First Woman Appointed to the Supreme Court
O’Connor, who paved the way for women on the federal bench, passed away on Friday at the age of 93.
Meet MFK Fisher, Who Changed the Way We Write About Food
The prolific author turned essays about eating into thoughts about love and life.
Meet Lena Richard, the First Black Woman to Have Her Own TV Show
Lena Richard was the original Martha Stewart, with a cooking show, a cookbook, restaurants, and even a frozen foods empire.
This Culinary Icon Introduced America to Real Chinese Cuisine
Cecilia Chiang opened America’s first authentic Chinese restaurant, The Mandarin, in 1960s San Francisco.
Meet Madame Clicquot, the Creator of Modern Champagne
Veuve Clicquot isn’t just a Champagne brand – it’s also the name of a trailblazing woman.
Meet Julia Child, the Not So French, French Chef
The California native brought French recipes into American homes through her iconic cookbook and much loved cooking show.
100 Years of Power, Part 3: What the Future Holds
In 2020, six diverse women run for president, and Nancy Pelosi takes the House. With experts Molly Ball, Kelly Dittmar, Ronnee Schreiber and Glynda Carr.
100 Years of Power, Part 2: Slow Burn of Progress
From Eleanor Roosevelt to Shirley Chisholm, women begin to win control over their lives and bodies. With historians Susan Ware and Gina Luria Walker and advocate Nell Merlino.
100 Years of Power, Part 1: Battle for Suffrage
How Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton led a rancorous fight, at times at odds with Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth. With historian Ellen DuBois.
She Came, She Saw, She Conquered: 8 Women Who Changed The World
The next time you wear blue jeans or use a stir-fry pan, thank these women. Here’s a look at eight game-changers for Women’s History Month.
Our Founding Mothers: The First Female Entrepreneurs of America
The fourth of July is a time for barbeques, picnics, family reunions, fireworks and of course remembering our founding fathers. But how can we celebrate this most American holiday without recognizing the women of the Revolutionary War?