Timeline of American Women in History
American history is rich with the contributions of countless women, each playing a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s social, political, and cultural landscape. From the earliest colonial settlements to the present day, women have challenged societal norms, shattered barriers, and fought tirelessly for equality. This Timeline of American Women in History highlights some of the landmark moments and extraordinary individuals who have left an indelible mark on the United States.
Early Years in America
1587: On Roanoke Island, North Carolina, Virginia Dare becomes the first child born in America to English parents, symbolizing the dawn of a new era for European settlers in the New World. However, the fate of Virginia and the Roanoke colony remains one of the most enduring mysteries of early American history.
1607: Pocahontas, a Native American woman of the Algonquian people, intervenes to save the life of Captain John Smith, a colonist at Jamestown, Virginia, from execution by her father, Chief Powhatan. This act of compassion and diplomacy plays a crucial role in the survival of the fledgling Jamestown colony, highlighting the complex interactions between European settlers and indigenous populations.
1620: Mary Chilton, a 13-year-old passenger aboard the Mayflower, is recorded as the first European to set foot on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. Her arrival marks a significant moment in the establishment of the Plymouth Colony, a pivotal settlement in the history of the United States.
1638: Anne Hutchinson, a religious reformer and intellectual, is tried for heresy and banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for challenging the teachings of its religious leaders. Her defiance of religious authority and advocacy for individual interpretation of the Bible make her a symbol of religious freedom and dissent. She subsequently moves to Rhode Island, which was founded on the principles of religious tolerance.
1648: Margaret Brent, a prominent landowner in Maryland, petitions the Maryland Assembly for two votes – one for herself and another as the administrator of Leonard Calvert’s estate and Lord Baltimore’s attorney. Her request, though ultimately denied, represents an early assertion of women’s rights to political participation and representation in the colonial era.
1650: Anne Bradstreet’s collection of poems, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, is published in London. This publication marks a milestone in American literature, establishing Bradstreet as one of the first published poets in the English colonies and offering a glimpse into the life and experiences of a woman in Puritan society.
1660: Mary Barrett Dyer, a Quaker missionary, is executed in Boston for her persistent Quaker proselytizing. Her martyrdom underscores the religious persecution faced by Quakers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and highlights the struggle for religious tolerance in early America.
1682: Mary Rowlandson publishes A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, a harrowing account of her capture by Narragansett warriors and her subsequent three months of captivity. This narrative provides a unique perspective on the conflicts between colonists and Native Americans and offers insights into the experiences of women in the frontier.
1692: The Salem Witch Trials erupt in and around Salem, Massachusetts, fueled by mass hysteria and accusations of witchcraft. Hundreds of people, primarily women, are accused, and nineteen are put to death. This dark chapter in American history serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of religious extremism, social prejudice, and the persecution of marginalized groups. The Timeline of American Women in History highlights the vulnerability of women during this period.
1701: Albany, New York, witnesses the first sexually integrated jury in the colonies, a small but significant step toward gender equality in the legal system.
1707: Henrietta Johnston begins working as a portrait artist in Charleston, South Carolina, becoming the first known professional woman artist in America. Her career represents a breakthrough for women in the arts and a testament to her artistic talent and determination.
1766: Mary Katherine Goddard and her widowed mother take over the publication of the Providence Gazette newspaper and the annual West’s Almanack, making her the first woman publisher in America. Goddard’s success in the male-dominated world of publishing demonstrates her entrepreneurial spirit and her commitment to providing information to the public.
1767: Anne Catherine Hoof Green assumes control of her late husband’s printing and newspaper business, becoming the first American woman to run a print shop. The following year, she is appointed the official printer for the colony of Maryland, solidifying her position as a pioneering woman in the printing industry.
1769: The Blackstone Commentaries, a foundational text of English common law upon which American colonies based their laws, codified the legal subordination of women within marriage, stating that a wife’s legal existence was suspended and subsumed under that of her husband.
1770: Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved African American woman, publishes her first poem, "An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of the Celebrated Divine…George Whitefield," establishing her as the first African American woman poet of note in the United States. Wheatley’s literary achievements challenge racial and gender stereotypes and provide a powerful voice for the enslaved.
1773: Women form the Daughters of Liberty, an adjunct to the Sons of Liberty, demonstrating their active participation in the growing resistance to British rule.
1774: Women in North Carolina sign the Edenton Proclamation, calling for a boycott of British goods, further illustrating their commitment to the cause of American independence.
1775: Mary Katherine Goddard becomes the first woman postmaster in the country, serving in Baltimore. In 1777, she becomes the first printer to offer copies of the Declaration of Independence with the signers’ names, solidifying her role as a key figure in the dissemination of revolutionary ideas.
1776: Ann Lee establishes the first Shaker settlement in America in Niskayuna, New York, marking the beginning of a unique religious community that emphasized equality between men and women.
1777: All states pass laws removing women’s right to vote, highlighting the prevailing patriarchal attitudes and the systematic exclusion of women from political participation.
1778: Mary McCauly ("Molly Pitcher"), wife of an American gunner, famously brings water to the troops at the Battle of Monmouth Court House. Legend has it that she took her husband’s place at the cannon after he collapsed, becoming a symbol of female courage and patriotism during the Revolutionary War.
1782: Deborah Sampson Gannett, disguised as a man, enlists in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment under the name Robert Shurtleff. She is one of many women who secretly fought in the American Revolution, demonstrating their willingness to risk their lives for the cause of independence.
1789: The United States Constitution is ratified, using gender-neutral terms like "persons," "people," and "electors," leaving open the possibility of including women in the definition of citizenship and political participation. Mary Katherine Goddard opens a bookstore in Baltimore, Maryland, likely becoming the first woman in America to do so, adding another entrepreneurial achievement to her already impressive resume. The Timeline of American Women in History notes this key moment.
1790: Judith Sargent Murray publishes her essay "On the Equality of the Sexes," advocating for women’s education and challenging traditional gender roles. The Second Great Awakening begins, with significantly more women than men participating in this wave of religious revivalism. Mother Bernardina Matthews establishes a Carmelite convent near Port Tobacco, Maryland, the first community of Roman Catholic nuns in the Thirteen Colonies.
1792: Suzanne Vaillande appears in The Bird Catcher in New York, the first ballet presented in the U.S. She is likely the first woman to work as a choreographer and set designer in the United States.
1793: Hannah Slater receives the first U.S. patent granted to a woman for a type of cotton thread, contributing to her husband’s successful textile business.
1795: Anne Parrish founds the House of Industry, which employs poor women, marking the first American charitable organization operated by women for women.
The 1800s
1800: The United States has the world’s highest birth rate, with an average of 7.04 children per woman.
1804: Sacagawea, a Native American woman of the Shoshone tribe, serves as a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, playing a crucial role in the expedition’s success and demonstrating her linguistic skills, knowledge of the terrain, and diplomatic abilities.
1805: Mercy Otis Warren publishes her influential History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, drawing on her personal knowledge of the prominent figures of the time.
1807: New Jersey revokes the right of women to vote, a right they had been granted since the adoption of the Constitution of New Jersey in 1776, highlighting the fragility of women’s political rights in the early republic.
1809: Elizabeth Ann Seton establishes the first American community of the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In 1975, she becomes the first native-born American to be canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
1821: Emma Willard founds the Troy Female Seminary in New York, a pioneering institution dedicated to providing women with a rigorous academic education.
1833: Oberlin Collegiate Institute (later Oberlin College) is founded in Ohio as the first American college to admit men and women equally, marking a significant step towards gender equality in higher education.
1848: Elizabeth Cady Stanton organizes the Seneca Falls Convention in New York, launching the woman suffrage movement in the United States. The Declaration of Sentiments, patterned after the Declaration of Independence, outlines the grievances and demands of the women’s rights movement. This is a seminal moment in the Timeline of American Women in History.
This Timeline of American Women in History offers a glimpse into the diverse and impactful contributions of women throughout the nation’s history, illustrating their resilience, determination, and unwavering pursuit of equality.