Women’s History Month reminds us that, although they are sometimes overlooked in history classes, women are very much a part of American history. They’ve been key players both out front and behind the scenes as reformers, leaders, and educators—and as the ones keeping families together during both good and bad times. During our recent work creating the new database, Women’s History in the United States, we discovered many inspirational stories of such women from various time periods and walks of life.

The theme for Women’s History Month 2025 is Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations. In the spirit of the theme, we’re sharing the life stories of eight women we believe embody it. Although not all are educators in the traditional sense, each of these women represent the spirit of the theme through their lifetimes of work educating, leading, and most certainly—inspiring—generations of women. Some you may have heard of, and others may be new discoveries, but all of these women made exciting contributions to the American experience.

Emma Willard (1787-1870) worked tirelessly to ensure that women receive the same academic opportunities as men did. In 1821, she founded one of the first institutions of higher education for women, the Troy Female Seminary (now the Emma Willard School) in New York. She was influential both in the reform of education and as an advocate for the training of female teachers. Read the full bio →

Zitkala-Ša (1876-1938), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, fought for Native American rights, sovereignty, and cultural preservation. Zitkala-Ša, a Yankton Sioux educated by Christian missionaries, went on to teach at the Carlisle Indian School in 1898. She became a writer and civil rights activist, editing American Indian Magazine and helping lobby for the passage of the 1924 Indian Citizenship Bill. Read the full bio →

Anna Julia Cooper (1858-1964) was a teacher, writer, civil rights advocate, and promoter of education for African Americans, particularly women. In 1892, she wrote A Voice from the South, noting, among other things, the importance of the perspectives of Black women in achieving racial justice and gender equality. Read the full bio →

Jovita Idar (1885-1946) was an advocate for Mexican American rights. Jovita Idar, was born into a newspaper family in Laredo, Texas. Conversant in four languages, she worked as an educator and was the first president of La Liga Femenil Mexicanista/The League of Mexican Women, which was a political and charitable organization for women. She also wrote regularly for newspapers championing civil rights and social issues in both Texas and Mexico, and even helped found the periodical Evolución in 1916. Read the full bio →

Joan Cuneo (1876-1934) was the first American woman to become an auto racing celebrity. The sport of racing has always been a male-dominated field from its inception until today, and Cuneo faced bans and the stigma of female drivers of the time. However, she went on to successfully compete multiple times in the 1,000-mile Glidden Tour, doing so well that the reigning car association banned female drivers in American Automobile Association races. Through her writings and advocacy, Cuneo is remembered as a pioneer in race care driving. Read the full bio →

Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973) was a campaigner for women’s suffrage. Running as a Republican in Montana, she became the first woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1916, four years before the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. She was also a pacifist, and even though it was unpopular, opposed entering both World War I and World War II, making her the only representative to vote against both wars. Read the full bio →

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (1897-1966) was a key advocate for women’s suffrage, particularly for the Chinese American community, during a time when there were significant racial and gender barriers in American society. The first woman to earn a PhD in economics at Columbia University, Lee founded the Chinese Christian Center in the 1920s. Through her work, she influenced and encouraged generations of Chinese women to reach for their educational and social goals. Read the full bio →

Jackie Cochran (1910-1980) was a record-setting aviator. During World War II, she led the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and worked to recruit and train more than 1,000women pilots to support the war effort. She was also the first woman to break the sound barrier, ran for Congress, and led a cosmetics company. Read the full bio →

We hope these stories will serve as inspiration and a starting point for deeper exploration of women’s history in your school.

About Women’s History in the United States

Women’s History in the United States is the fifth installment in Bloomsbury / ABC-CLIO’s American Mosaic collection of social studies databases. Combining hundreds of primary sources, historical reference articles, and built-in tools for educators, the database offers versatile support for U.S. history curriculum, history electives, and student research projects.

To explore more highlighted resources from Women’s History in the United States, visit our featured content page.

About Bloomsbury / ABC-CLIO

Bloomsbury is a leading publisher of reference and nonfiction for students, educators, and researchers striving at all levels of academic inquiry. Whether it be primary documents, critical texts, historical archives, or the latest in video and audio resources, we are committed to enhancing the research experience with engaging and dynamic digital resources of the highest quality.

ABC-CLIO databases support research and learning in social studies, history, and the humanities. ABC-CLIO is owned by Bloomsbury as part of its Academic division.

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