Jone's Women's History Blog

Read about what this pioneer in social work said about democracy, ethics, patriotism, charity, and more.

Mary Wollstonecraft, born April 27, 1759, has been called the "first feminist" or "mother of feminism." Her book-length essay on women's rights, and especially on women's education, A Vindication of ... Read More

In the 1960s, the title "Ms." came to be identified with the feminist movement. Women sought to find a title that didn't refer to their marital status, equivalent to ... Read More

Catherine the Great (April 21, 1729 - November 17, 1796) was one of the most powerful women in the 18th century. Born a princess in Germany, she converted to ... Read More

In 1850, Charlotte Brontë wrote a biographical essay about her two sisters, Anne Brontë and Emily Brontë, with information about herself, as well. The sisters had been writing under ... Read More

Women have been in the forefront of the modern environmentalist movement. Rachel Carson and Wangari Maathai are two prominent women environmentalists -- one a writer whose book, Silent Spring, ... Read More

"There is no reason why the aeroplane should not open up a fruitful occupation for women. I see no reason they cannot realize handsome incomes by carrying passengers between adjacent ... Read More

Henry VIII faced a problem of many kings: how to ensure a stable succession. That meant having sons, or so he thought, which meant marrying someone capable of giving him ... Read More

The Women's Trade Union League, nearly forgotten in much of the mainstream, feminist and labor history written in the mid-20th century, was a key institution in reforming women's working conditions ... Read More

Louisa May Alcott, known best for her book Little Women, was the daughter of Bronson Alcott, a close associate and friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson and a central figure in ... Read More

The Japanese royal family faces pressure because the current crown princess -- a Harvard-educated diplomat before she married the Japanese crown prince, mother of one daughter, and now more than ... Read More

Theodora was probably the most influential and powerful woman in Byzantine history. Theodora became Empress of Byzantium on April 4, 527, as wife of the Emperor Justinian. Theodora's ... Read More

Today, thirty letters from Ernest Hemingway to Marlene Dietrich became available to the public. Racy, they reflect a close, flirty, and presumably platonic relationship between two of the 20th ... Read More

Sophie Germaine, born April 1, 1776, dedicated herself early to becoming a mathematician, despite family obstacles and lack of precedent. The French Academy of Sciences awarded her a prize ... Read More