Throughout history, many women have changed and shaped history for the better. Although they did wonderful things with their lives, many were sadly overlooked until after their death. Thankfully, most of these women are being celebrated today, and for good reason. So, let’s look at their accomplishments.
Rosalind Franklin
A woman known for being a fantastic chemist and X‑ray crystallographer, she was also essential to our understanding of the complex molecular structures of RNA, DNA, graphite, coal, and viruses. She is best known for her work on DNA, but sadly, she wasn’t appreciated in her own time. People called her forgotten.
She would likely have received a Nobel Prize for her work if she had been remembered. Her partner continued her research and got the coveted Nobel, but sadly, Franklin passed away before seeing him receive it.
Ida B. Wells
An extraordinary woman born into slavery, she was later emancipated and became a well‑respected journalist, civil rights movement leader, anti‑lynching activist, and woman’s suffragette. She began her career in Memphis and became a local editor before moving on.
In 1892, her writing became more focused on anti‑lynching, and the office where she worked was set on fire by a mob. This didn’t stop her, though. She kept writing, investigating, and fighting for what she believed was right. Her efforts paid off as her research was published, and until her last days, she fought for women everywhere.
She was a respected leader in the black community when she passed away. She left behind a legacy that wasn’t recognized until later.
Hedy Lamarr
Stunning, elegant, and a natural beauty, Hedy Lamarr was an actress who became controversial for deciding to appear in a film that showed her in the throes of ecstasy. There was significant debate about the movie as Hedy later stated that she disagreed with the scene. She was also a strong presence on the stage.
Another source of controversy was her marriage to Friedrich Mandi, who had ties to Mussolini and later Hitler. Unfortunately, she felt like a prisoner in her marriage and decided to leave her husband and her country in 1937.
She was a passionate woman who invested her spare time in designing inventions. Entirely self‑taught, her inventions included a tablet for creating flavored carbonated drinks, an improved traffic stoplight, and frequency hopping. These are the basis of the technology that lets us create Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi‑Fi.
Sybil Ludington
The Revolutionary War needed help, and according to accounts, Sybil played an essential role after the British raided Danbury. According to stories, at age 16, Sybil rode 40 miles from her home in New York to rally nearly 400 militiamen and place them under her father’s command.
While accounts have debated whether her ride took place (the DAR said that evidence wasn’t strong enough to call her a heroine), most people believe the story of the brave young girl whose actions helped American troops force the British to retreat in the Battle of Ridgefield.
Deborah Sampson
Deborah became a hero during the American Revolution. She was the only woman to earn a full military pension for her participation because she disguised herself as a man and joined the Patriot forces.
During the war, she scouted neutral territory, assessed the British buildup of men, and led 30 foot soldiers on a one‑on‑one confrontation with the Tories. Leading a raid, she captured 15 men.
Upon discovering her sex, she received an honorable discharge, got married, and had a family. She then toured and lectured about her experiences, and upon her death, she was regarded as an example of female heroism and courage.
Mary Anning
A paleontologist, dealer, and fossil collector, Mary was remembered for discovering Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs at Lyme Regis. Her findings shed light on and contributed significantly to how scientists viewed the Earth’s history and prehistoric life.
Skeletons were correctly identified through her discoveries, and the discovery of coprolites wouldn’t have happened without her. However, she wasn’t eligible to join the Geological Society of London, which resulted in her not always getting full credit for her contributions to science.
When she was a baby, her neighbor held her when lightning struck a tree under which a group of women stood. Only Mary survived, and many attributed her intelligence to that moment.
Bessie Coleman
Bessie was the first Native American and African‑American woman to have a pilot’s license and an international license. When she was young, she worked in the cotton fields and attended a segregated school before attending college for a term. Because America had no opportunities for women pilots, she saved and went to flight school in France.
When she returned to the USA, she was a pilot involved in high‑profile, dangerous air shows. At one show, a plane crashed, and she begged them to repair it so she could fly again. Instead, she was grounded.
She was offered a role in a movie and was going to accept until she realized the movie wanted her to look like a stereotype. Instantly refusing, she walked off set. She didn’t want any part in perpetuating stereotypes. Her ultimate goal was to open a flight school, but this never happened. She died in a plane crash after the aircraft was declared unsafe. Ten thousand mourners attended her ceremonies in Chicago, led by Ida B. Wells.
Jane Addams
A woman of many trades, she was a reformer, social worker, author, sociologist, settlement activist, public administrator, and philosopher. She was also a leader in the Woman’s Suffrage movement. She is remembered as the first woman to be a public philosopher in the USA.
She highlighted issues that people hadn’t focused on as much as they should have, such as domestic work for women, the needs of children, world peace, and local public health. Baptized as a Christian but uncertain about her role as a woman, she traveled and pursued her dream of creating a settlement house.
Harriet Tubman
Harriet is a well‑known abolitionist and social activist. Born into slavery, she received a head wound that caused issues throughout her life. Devoutly religious, after escaping slavery, she helped over 70 enslaved people find a new life and led more than 13 missions.
During the Civil War, she served as a spy and an armed scout for the Union Army. As she grew older, she became an activist for Women’s Suffrage. While she didn’t receive much compensation for her service, she continued her humanitarian work.
She suffered many mishaps as she aged, including being robbed and having her house burn down, but her supporters always came to her aid. In her later years, she fought for the suffrage movement and worked alongside Susan B. Anthony. Toward the end of her life, she became active in the AME and opened a home, though she was saddened by the entry fee since she wanted it to be free. Her earlier trauma resurfaced as she grew frail, and she eventually succumbed to pneumonia. She inspired generations to fight for what’s right.
Sojourner Truth
Another woman known for abolition, women’s rights, and civil rights, she also helped during the Civil War. As an enslaved person, she endured violent punishments. Married as a teen, she had five children before she ran away to an abolitionist family that purchased her freedom.
After moving to New York, she met other abolitionists and was encouraged to speak out against the evils of slavery. So, she dictated her autobiography. She gave lecture tours, lobbied against segregation, and helped enslaved people gain freedom. During the Civil War, she urged men to join the cause and organized supplies for Black troops.
She assisted formerly enslaved people in finding jobs and creating new lives after the war. In the 1860s, she collected thousands of signatures to help them obtain land. When she passed, over a thousand people attended her service, and Frederick Douglass gave a eulogy for her in Washington, D.C., to honor her further.
Ada Lovelace
A writer and mathematician, she was mostly known for her work on the Analytical Engine. Before her, no one realized the machine had applications beyond mere calculation. She was the only legitimate child of Lord Byron.
Throughout her life, she was studious, interacting with scientists, writers, and others, and she used those contacts to further her education. She never achieved her dream of creating a mathematical model for how the brain thinks or how nerves and feelings operate. Still, she produced translations and left excellent notes that helped explain the Analytical Engine.
She also dismissed early ideas of artificial intelligence and continued to further her mathematical pursuits throughout her life. She died of cancer at age 36.
Wangari Maathai
Strong and brave, Wangari was a political, environmental, and Kenyan social activist. Founding the Green Belt Movement, her organization focused on women’s rights, planting trees, and environmental conservation.
She was the very first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. A beneficiary of the Kennedy Airlift, she earned a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a Ph.D. She focused on the environment, social activism, and campaigning for equal benefits for women. After her husband campaigned for a seat in parliament, she helped found Environcare ELtd. and planted her first nursery. She encouraged the women of her country to plant nurseries and agreed to pay them for each seedling. She became the chairman of NCWK until she retired. She faced adversity and immense pressure but never stopped fighting for democracy. She passed away from ovarian cancer but remains a powerful influence to this day.
Ching Shih
She had many names and humble origins before she married a pirate. When her husband died, she took control and later married her adopted son. It is estimated that she commanded a fleet of over 50,000 pirates and was widely regarded as the most successful and influential female pirate ever.
She faced controversy because of her relationships and was remembered for her great battles. Her pirates even raided in bloody campaigns, killing over 8,000 people. After many battles with the government, she finally surrendered. Following that, she lived a peaceful life running a gambling house.
Grace Hopper
Grace had a distinguished career as a Navy rear admiral, computer scientist, and mathematician. She was the first to develop a theory of independent programming languages for machines and developed the theories for Flow‑Matic and COBOL.
She also wrote the first computer manual. Believing that programming should be more straightforward, she converted English terms into machine code that computers could understand. A missile destroyer and supercomputers were also named in her honor.
Throughout her life, she was awarded 40 honorary degrees and received other prestigious awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She retired at 60 with the rank of commander and was, at the time, the oldest serving member of the Navy. After retiring, she was hired by DEC as a goodwill ambassador. She later passed in her sleep at age 83 and was buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery.
Sacagawea
Known best for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, she traveled thousands of miles with the expedition and helped create cultural contacts with Native American people. She also provided the expedition with essential knowledge of natural history.
Her childhood was marked by trauma, which she managed to survive. When she was chosen to help guide the expedition, she acted as an interpreter and ensured that the journey remained peaceful, even while traveling with her child.
Once the expedition was over, she spent three years with the Hidatsa before accepting an invitation from Clark to settle in St. Louis. She died in 1812 of an illness, and there were rumors that perhaps she hadn’t died but run away. However, nothing supports this.
After her death, many organizations, including the National American Woman Suffrage Association, recognized her and her life’s significance.
They Believed in A Better World
Did any of these surprise you? Many of these women helped shape our country and others, even if they weren’t recognized until after their death. What we should take away, however, is that these women faced adversity, complex trials, and even threats of death—and they never gave up on what they believed in, always hoping they could make the world better.
