Women’s financial independence is something we can celebrate for America’s 250th birthday.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has been compiling an oral history project for the last two years, and it has gone live in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Called “We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence,” the project also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and sheds light on the history of women’s financial independence in the U.S. through more than three dozen interviews with women from different backgrounds, generations and professions.
Through the stories of pioneers, including Jacki Zehner, the youngest woman and first female trader to be made partner at Goldman Sachs, and Claudia Goldin, the 2023 Nobel Prize winner in Economics, the project tracks how women gained more equal financial footing since the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 allowed them access to credit in their own names.
The project, curated by historian Rachel Seidman and available online — the museum was close to having a permanent location on the National Mall until President Donald Trump tried to exert pressure about what the museum would entail — includes interview excerpts, curator essays, and public programs.
When the project was initially announced, Seidman said the trailblazers featured go into detail about their experiences and that their stories collectively show how they blazed a path for younger generations to enjoy more economic opportunity.
“Oral histories allow us to capture not just what changed, but how it felt to live through those changes,” Seidman added. “I hope these stories inspire the next generation to continue to learn about the women who have shaped America and worked tirelessly for a better future for all.”
