Women’s History

Here a good resource on the history of women and society with many links to guides for in depth information on the topics. It is important to understand the past events on women’s rights and issues as it reflects on the way we view women in today’s culture. Take a look at our other guides on different aspects of sociology as you continue your research and studies.

Women’s history spans millennia, and still today is an important topic for sociological study. Typically when studying women throughout history, researchers focus on the role that women have played in society at large—their academic, scientific, and social contributions in the US and worldwide. Woman’s suffrage is another important topic of study for which there is a wealth of material available. Additionally, women serving in the armed forces are commemorated for their bravery and historical impact in many resources, and their correspondence held as important historical artifacts. Luckily for researchers, vast archives of information exist online, including primary and secondary sources, as well as analysis from many perspectives. These documents and the many other types of media available shed light on women’s history and their overall impact on past and present society.

Women and Society

Creative Women by Day of Birth – An archive of quotations from influential creative women, sorted by date of birth
Sports Biographies: Index to Women – Extensive collection of short biographies concerning women in sports
The Ada Project: Women in Computing – A project dedicated to providing information about women in computing, including biographies and other useful resources
Female Nobel Prize Laureates – Biographies and other information related to female Nobel Laureates across all topics
Biography of Mary Mason Lyon – Biographical information about the founder of the first women’s college
Yale-New Haven Teacher Institute: American Maid: Growing Up Female in Life and Literature – Informative essays and student activity suggestions focused on the historic accomplishments by women.
300 Women Who Changed the World – Detailed profiles and related information about many influencial women, including Joan of Arc, Princess Diana, and Murasaki Shikibu.
Archive of Distinguished Women, Past and Present – Basic information and links to additional resources for women remembered by history.
The Varo Registry of Women Artists – Includes many images of artistic works by women artists and links to several related resources.
Women’s History in America – A historical look at women in relationship to the overall society.
A Guide to Women in Canadian History – An official government site dedicated to providing information about important women in Canadian history.
Women in World History – Provides primary sources, website reviews, and an online forum concerned with historically important women worldwide.
Duke University’s Online Archival Collections of African-American Women – Digitalized collections of primary resources, pictures, and other media related to African-American women and the slave experience in the US
Woman Writers in the 19^th Century – Short biographies on woman authors, complete with pictures and most famous works.
Information about Georgia O’Keeffe - Includes biographies, galleries, writings, and other related information.
The Official Website of Amelia Earhart – Contains information about this famous aviatrix, including news, videos, and other media.

Women’s Rights Resources

Law of Congress Collection on Woman Suffrage – Government collection of resources related to women’s suffrage, including primary and secondary documents and links to other resources
One Hundred Years toward Suffrage: An Overview – Detailed timeline spanning from 1776 with Abigail Adams to 1923 with the National Woman’s Party
Prints and Photographs: Votes for Women-Suffrage Pictures 1850-1920 – Extensive collection of pictures and prints related to woman suffrage in the United States
Carrie Chapman Catt Biography and Impact – Provides substantial biographical information on the leader of the suffrage movement of the 1930’s
Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement 1848-1998 – Detailed information on the Women’s Rights Movement, including history, modern resources, and related organization links
Teaching with Documents: Woman Suffrage and the 19^th Amendment – Substantial collection of primary and secondary resources, often with original document images and transcriptions
An Online Archive of Women’s Liberation Movement Documents – Primary and secondary sources related to women and their liberation, including essays, magazines, and images
Biographies of Women Involved in Women’s Suffrage – A substantial list of resources related to women’s suffrage, primarily in the form of biographies and encyclopedic entries.

Archives and Other Historical Collections

American Women’s History Archives and Manuscript Collections – Provides links to primary and secondary sources related to Women’s history in the US
The Women Artists Archives National Directory – Extensive collection of media related to women artists
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Papers Project – Devoted to the publication of the writings of two important American social reformers from the 19^th century.
4000 years of Women in Science and Math – Biographies, photographs, and other resources about women scientists and mathematicians throughout history
Marietta Pierce Johnson and the Organic School – Biography of Marietta Pierce Johnson, founder of organic education.
Welcome to the Women’s Legal History Website – A massive directory of biographical information concerning women in the legal system
Archive of Notable Women Ancestors – Collection of user-created biographies of historic women ancestors
Woman a Week Archives – Biographies of over 30 historically important women
Women’s Speeches from Around the World – Contemporary, full-text speeches from society’s most important women, including Nobel lectures
Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 – A large collection of primary, secondary, and miscellaneous documents related to the Salem Witchcraft trials.
The Liz Library – Website containing a large collection of information on topics related to women in society, including essays and other research documents.
Source Collection Concerning Woman Suffrage – Collection of primary and secondary sources related to woman suffrage; some information available online.
Emory Women Writers Resource Project – These archives include many primary and secondary digitized images and rewritten sources.

Women in the Military

Military Women Veterans of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – Provides information related to historic and modern women serving in the US armed forces, including pictures and detailed essays
Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters During World War II – Provides detailed information on Women serving for the US armed forced during World War II
Timeline of the History of Military Women – A substantial timeline concerning the most important date for women in the US military.
Swarthmore College Peace Collection – Contains many resources related to peace efforts, many of which included or were spearheaded by women activists.
Wasp on the Web – Biographies, Records, and Games related to the Women Airforce Service Pilots.
Remember the Ladies – Brief pictorial resource concentrating on Civil War women’s clothing.
Civil War Woman: Primary sources on the Internet – Site containing a substantial collection of primary resources from women in history, offering an insight into historic culture.

Contemporary Resources

The Feminist Majority Foundation – Home page of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which is involved in a number of initiatives worldwide
International Archive of Women in architecture – Provides papers of women, especially internationally, who have contributed to the architectural landscape
Showcasing Great Women at the National Women’s Hall of Fame – Homepage of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, containing biographies and other media related to inductees.
Worcester Women’s History Project – An organization which documents the contribution of women to society and history
National First Ladies’ Library – Chronicling historic and contemporary first ladies of the US
Women in Congress – Historical and contemporary information about women who have served in Congress since the first woman in 1917
National Museum of Women in the Arts – Home page of an organization with massive collections of art generated by women
Home Page of the International Women’s Air and Space Museum – This official website offers information and resources concerning women in air and space as well as promotional news and links
The Organization of Women Pilots: The Ninety-Nines, Inc. – Official website devoted to advancing women pilots, complete with resources and scholarship opportunities
Research Links on Women’s History – Guide to researching Women’s history, including links to many different related topics and an extensive annotated bibliography
Welcome to the H-Women Network – A social network dedicated to discussion modern research about women’s issues.
The Women’s Library Liberation Movement Research Network – Information about the holding at the Women’s Library, including helpful links and promotional materials.
The Women’s International Center – Home page of an organization dedicated to educating women.