The Equal Rights Amendment – A 100 Year History

A Constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote has been a part of the American debate since the inception of our nation. Abigail Adams wrote to her husband in 1776, imploring him to “remember the ladies” in the process of fomenting a new government. She writes “That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a … Continue reading The Equal Rights Amendment – A 100 Year History

“White House Kids” Series – Lynda Bird Johnson Robb

As daughter of career politician and 36th President Lyndon Johnson, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb lived most of her life in the shadow of her dedicated father. A Texan through and through, President Johnson spent most of his time in the nation’s capitol attending his many duties, first as a Representative in the House serving Texas’s … Continue reading “White House Kids” Series – Lynda Bird Johnson Robb

“White House Kids” Series – Margaret Truman Daniel

Being a child of a President of the United States cannot at all times be pleasant - being the only child of a United States President, arguably one of the greatest President’s in our nation’s history, is a daunting fate. However, Margaret Truman, daughter of 33rd President Harry S. Truman, carried this burden with grace … Continue reading “White House Kids” Series – Margaret Truman Daniel

“White House Kids” Series – Anna Roosevelt Halsted

A second famous First Daughter carrying the Roosevelt name came about twenty years after her cousin - Alice Roosevelt Halsted. Eldest and only female child of powerhouse couple Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Anna Roosevelt Halsted was one of the most understated accomplished women of the 20th century. Co-editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, owner of the … Continue reading “White House Kids” Series – Anna Roosevelt Halsted

“White House Kids” Series – Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Arguably the most well-known and controversial First Daughter with the name Roosevelt, Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a woman before her time. Unbending in the face of scandal (which she frequently was featured in and appeared to relish in) while using her wit and intellect to become the great equalizer at every social gathering, Alice Roosevelt … Continue reading “White House Kids” Series – Alice Roosevelt Longworth

“Remembering the Ladies” Series – 20th Century Female Artists, Making Art Through Adversity

The 20th century was a pivotal period for the advancement of the female cause - women’s suffrage was achieved with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920, the First and Second World Wars showcased the perseverance of women and their capability to be effective in the workforce, and federal legislation would be enacted throughout … Continue reading “Remembering the Ladies” Series – 20th Century Female Artists, Making Art Through Adversity

“Remembering the Ladies” Series – Women in the Political Foreground

Historians refer to Abigail Adams as a “Woman of Firsts”: the first woman to be Second Lady of the United States, first woman to be the wife of a United States president as well as a mother of one, the first First Lady to inhabit the newly constructed White House, and one of the first … Continue reading “Remembering the Ladies” Series – Women in the Political Foreground

“Remembering the Ladies” Series – Child Care: A Contemporary Issue

Photograph of a female wartime worker dropping off her daughter at a nursery in Richmond, California, 1943. (Library of Congress) Photograph of Barack Obama signing the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, putting it back into law, 2013. (Obama White House Archives) The challenges that women have faced in history are … Continue reading “Remembering the Ladies” Series – Child Care: A Contemporary Issue

“Remembering the Ladies” Series – Women Emerging in Government

Photograph of Geraldine Ferraro - the Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic ticket in the 1984 presidential election - exiting an airplane with Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. (City of Boston Archives) Photograph of the six female Democratic candidates at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. Senator Barbara Mikulski is in the … Continue reading “Remembering the Ladies” Series – Women Emerging in Government

“Remembering the Ladies” Series – Legislating Change in Life and Society

Advertisement and newspaper excerpt announcing the FDA’s approval of Enovid as a contraceptive, 1960. (Public Domain) Photograph of Katharine McCormick at a pro-women’s suffrage rally, 1913. (Public Domain) Running parallel to the women who took positions of leadership in the civil rights movement, there were several stirrings of legislative action taking place that were specifically … Continue reading “Remembering the Ladies” Series – Legislating Change in Life and Society