Photo Credit: Hugh Talman, Smithsonian Institution

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Property rights include the legal rights to acquire, own, sell and transfer property, collect and keep rents, keep one's wages, make contracts and bring lawsuits. In history, a woman's property has often, but not always, been under the control of her father or, if she was married, her husband. Read more about the history of how women achieved basic property rights.

Before the Renaissance -- when a number of women in Europe wielded influence and power -- women of medieval Europe often came to prominence primarily through their family connections. Through marriage or motherhood, or as their father's heir when there were no male heirs, women occasionally rose above their culturally-restricted roles. And a few women made their way to the forefront of accomplishment or power primarily through their own efforts. A few European medieval women of note: Top Ten Women of Medieval Europe

Women's history uncovers many less-known women, while history and the news may overemphasize other women whose achievements don't really warrant that attention. Who do you think was the most overrated woman of the twentienth century? Click to vote, and to see how others have voted:

1) Princess Diana
2) Jane Fonda
3) Marilyn Monroe
4) Eva Peron
5) Eleanor Roosevelt
6) Margaret Thatcher