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Women
History: 11 to 14 years
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Women In World History offers an engaging way to access the historic experiences of women in a global setting. It features biographies of female rulers and national heroes, special topic categories such as a world wide view of the lives of women in the first millennium, the involvement of women during the Crusades, and quotes by women from diverse regions and epics. Viewers can also find reviews of useful general background books, a list of links to other sites, a wide variety of classroom available lessons, and additional information in a question and answer section. An on-line catalog describes fourteen curriculum units designed to provide an easy way to include the perspective of women in commonly taught history topics. Sample lessons and essays are part of each unit description.
Margaret and Rachel McMillan: Inspired by the ideas of William Morris, Margaret and Rachel McMillan devoted their lives to helping children living in Britain's slums. In 1892 Margaret joined Dr. James Kerr, Bradford's school medical officer, to carry out the first medical inspection of elementary school children in Britain. Kerr and McMillan published a report on the medical problems that they found and began a campaign to improve the health of children by arguing that local authorities should install bathrooms, improve ventilation and supply free school meals. The two sisters led the campaign for school meals and eventually Parliament passed the 1906 Provision of School Meals Act. Two years later Margaret and Rachel opened the country's first school clinic in Bow. Just before her death in 1931 Margaret McMillan established a new college to train nurses and teachers. A friend of the sisters,Walter Cresswell, later wrote: "Such persons, single-minded, pure in heart, blazing with selfless love, are the jewels of our species. There is more essential Christianity in them than in a multitude of bishops." As well as providing biographies of Margaret and Rachel McMillan this website also includes extracts from the writings of these two amazing women.
Elizabeth Robins: This website is devoted to the life and works of the American novelist, actress, suffrage campaigner and feminist activist. Elizabeth Robins was an early member of the Women's Social and Political Union and after women got the vote she spent her last years fighting for the reform of the House of Lords and an improvement in the health care for women in Britain. As well as a chronology of her life, the website includes online editions of her major novels and Way Stations, a collection of speeches and articles dealing with women's suffrage.
Chrystal Eastman: When Crystal Eastman died of a brain hemorrhage on 8th July, 1928 one obituary claimed that "she was for thousands a symbol of what the free woman might be." Eastman was one of the leaders of the women's suffrage movement in the United States and during her short life played a significant role in establishing the Congressional Union for Women Suffrage, the Woman's Peace Party and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACTU). Eastman's political activities led to her being blacklisted and she spent most of her later life in England. This website provides a biography of Chrystal Eastman and extracts from articles that she wrote for The Nation, The Liberator, Time and Tide, the Daily Herald and the Birth Control Review.
The Emancipation of Women: 1750-1920: A comprehensive encyclopaedia of how British women got the vote. Each entry contains a narrative, illustrations and primary sources. The text within each entry is hypertexted to other relevant pages in the encyclopedia. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. The sources are also hypertexted so the student is able to find out about the writer, artist, newspaper, organization, etc., that produced the material. So far there are sections on: omen in the 19th Century (Schooling, Marriage, Industrial Work, Careers & Professions, University Education, Birth Control), Pressure Groups, Strategy and Tactics and Parliamentary Reform Acts.
Women in World War One: It was not until the United States got involved in the World War One that some parts of the government got serious about using women power. During the conflict nearly 13,000 women enlisted in the Navy and the Marine Corps. This website, produced by Barbara Wilson, a former captain in the USAF, contains information of these women and the large number of nurses who served in Europe during the conflict.
Women's Suffrage Movement in the United States: A comprehensive encyclopaedia of the struggle in the United States for the vote. Each entry contains a narrative, illustrations and primary sources. The text within each entry is hypertexted to other relevant pages in the encyclopedia. In this way it is possible to research individual people and events in great detail. The sources are also hypertexted so the student is able to find out about the writer, artist, newspaper, organization, etc., that produced the material. So far there are sections on: Women Campaigners, Women Artists and the Campaign, Journals and Magazines, Organizations, Political Campaigns and Male Supporters of Women's Suffrage.
Hull-House Museum: Politicians now involved in the drafting of legislation concerning the integration of immigrants into society would be well advised to explore the history of the Hull-House Social Settlement, established by Jane Addams in Chicago in 1889. Over the next few years Hull-House was the base of a group of amazing group of people that included Ellen Gates Starr, Florence Kelley, Edith Abbott, Grace Abbott, Alice Hamilton, Charlotte Perkins, William Walling, Charles Beard, Mary McDowell, Mary Kenney, Alzina Stevens and Sophonisba Breckinridge. Hull-House is now owned and operated by the University of Illinois and this website provides information on the achievements of these early pioneers in social work.
Not for Ourselves Alone: In 1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). The organization condemned the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments as blatant injustices to women and advocated easier divorce and an end to discrimination in employment and pay. This website, based on the television documentary, Not For Ourselves Alone, celebrates the achievements of these two remarkable women.
Women and Social Movements in the United States: The Women and Social Movements website is a project of the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Currently it contains 30 document projects undertaken principally by Binghamton undergraduate and graduate students and mounted after revision and editing. Each project poses an interpretive question and provides a collection of documents that address the question. Altogether the site includes over 600 documents, more than 150 images, and 250 links to other websites. These projects offer students an opportunity to understand historical research and writing as an interpretive process based on documents. Viewers of the site are encouraged to participate in that interpretive process.
Women and the Second World War: In September 1943 the Special Operations Executive (SOE) sent Pearl Witherington into France where she became head of the Wrestler Network. Over the next few months Witherington, one of the 39 female agents sent into France during the war, helped organize over 1,500 members of the Maquis against the German Army. This website illustrates the important role played by women in the war and includes biographies of twenty secret agents, twenty women involved in the anti-Nazi resistance movement in Europe and twelve women who risked their lives as war reporters.
Violette Szabo: After hearing that her husband had been killed at El Alamein, Violette Szabo, developed a strong desire to get involved in the war effort and was recruited to join the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The violette Szabo Museum website tells the story of how she was parachuted into occupied France to help the resistance. Szabo was captured and executed by the Gestapo and was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre and the George Cross.
Great Women: In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and 300 other women and men held the first Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls. The Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, was presented and passed by the convention. These resolutions included among other demands, that women have the right to vote. The struggle for women's rights had begun. Seventy-two years later in 1920, the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified, which gave women many rights, including the right to vote. In 1969 the women and men of Seneca Falls created the National Women's Hall of Fame, believing that the contributions of American women deserved a permanent home. The biographies of these women can now be found on this impressive website.
Women in American History: An impressive website produced by Encyclopedia Britannica. This includes four overview articles: Early America 1600-1820, The Nineteenth Century 1820-1880, At the Crossroads 1880-1920 and Modern America 1920 to the Present. There is also a large collection of biographies, a media gallery, a recommended reading list, a study guide and a useful list of women's history website links.
American Civil War Women: Ginny Daley has produced a directory website on the lives and experiences of women during the American Civil War. This includes diaries, letters, documents, photographs and prints and features the writings of Alice Williamson, Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Rachael Cormany, Carrie Berry, Catharine Hunsecker, Alansa Rounds Sterrett and Nancy Emerson.
Women Come to the Front is a website devoted to women who worked as journalists, photographers and broadcasters during the Second World War. This includes articles such as War, Women and Opportunity and Seeds of Change and biographies of Therese Bonney, Toni Frissell, Clare Boothe Luce, Janet Flanner, Esther Bubley, Dorothea Lange and May Craig. There is also a full list of accredited women correspondents employed during the war.
Jewish Women's Archive: The mission of the Jewish Women's Archive is to "uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and communities, to our people and our world". As well as the Virtual Archive there are online exhibitions. This includes Women of Valor (the lives of Jewish women who have made significant contributions to Jewish and American life) and Women Who Dared (information on contemporary Jewish women who risked their lives to fight for something in which they believed).
Distinguished Women: A collection of biographies of women who contributed to our culture in many different ways. There are writers, educators, scientists, heads of state, politicians, civil rights crusaders, artists, entertainers, and others. Some were alive hundreds of years ago and some are living today. As Danuta Bois, the author of the website points out: "you will have heard of some of them, while many more have been ignored by history book writers."
Victoria Woodhull: In 1872 was nominated as the presidential candidate of the Equal Rights Party. Although laws prohibited women from voting, there was nothing stopping women from running for office. During the campaign Woodhull called for the "reform of political and social abuses; the emancipation of labor, and the enfranchisement of women". Woodhull also argued in favour of improved civil rights and the abolition of capital punishment. The supporters of President Ulysses Grant decided to attack Victoria Woodhull's character and she was accused of having affairs with married men. It was also alleged that Victoria's previous husband was an alcoholic and her her sister, Utica Claflin, took drugs. Woodhull became convinced that Henry Ward Beecher was behind these stories and decided to fight back. She now published a story that Beecher was having an affair with a married woman. Woodhull was arrested and charged under the Comstock Act for sending obscene literature through the mail and was in prison on election day. Over the next seven months Woodhull was arrested eight times and had to endure several trials for obscenity and libel. She was eventually acquitted of all charges but the legal bills forced her into bankruptcy. This website provides an account of Victoria Woodhull's life and extracts from her speeches and articles.
Suffragist movement and Feminism, 1789-1945: This material was elaborated in the framework of a Comenius School Project “Men and Women in the Current European Society”. It contains an overview on feminist movement and women’s fight for the right of suffrage from the late 18th century (French Revolution and earlier British feminists) to the end of the Second World War when equal franchise was given in most of the Western countries. All the pages contain different sort of activities to be carried out by students. The website includes a selection of biographies, a chronology and a list of links to webs in different languages.
Women's Labor History: This directory of websites on Women's Labor History has been compiled by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The material is organized under the headings: Women's Labor History, Women's Trade Union League, Mother Jones and Other Women in the Mines, Women and Labor in the Textile Industries, Wobbly Women, Famous Women in Labor History and Women's Labor Songs.
Internet Women's History Sourcebook: This sourcebook attempts to present online documents and secondary discussions which reflect the various ways of looking at the history of women within broadly defined historical periods and areas. This massive resource includes sections on Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Medieval Europe, Early Modern Europe, Modern Europe, North America, Latin America, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Islamic World.
Women's History Books: Naomi Symes Books is a bookselling service to academics, collectors and enthusiasts in the field of social history and women's history. It supplies out-of-print, antiquarian and in-print titles to individual customers and academic institutions worldwide. Over the summer months, the website has been making improvements to its online booksearch to allow for easier, more informed browsing. This means that in addition to its fast search facility, which pinpoints specific books, the visitor is presented with a range of options related to your likely interests.
Emma Goldman: An influential and well-known anarchist of her day, Goldman was an early advocate of free speech, birth control, women's equality and independence, union organization, and the eight-hour work day. Her criticism of mandatory conscription of young men into the military during World War I led to a two-year imprisonment, followed by her deportation in 1919. For the rest of her life until her death in 1940, she continued to participate in the social and political movements of her age, from the Russian Revolution to the Spanish Civil War. Since 1980, the Emma Goldman Papers Project at the University of California has collected, organized, and edited tens of thousands of documents by and about Goldman from around the world. The website uses primary historical documents to examine issues related to immigration, freedom of expression, women's rights, anti-militarism, and the art and culture of social change.
Female Explorers: This website is dedicated to women who have explored the world around them. The home page approvingly quotes Amelia Earhart who once said: "Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others." Women featured include Harriet Chalmers Adams, Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, Amelia Earhart and Margaret Bourke-White.
The Women's Library is a cultural centre, housing the most extensive collection of women's history in the UK. Its collections cover a range of topics relating primarily to women in Britain, but some international material is available. Published materials include over 60,000 books and pamphlets, including first editions and rare items, and 2,400 periodical titles, ranging from popular magazines to academic quarterlies. Special collections consist of 350 archival collections, including diverse personal papers, records of societies and associations, and research and oral history projects. There are also rich holdings of photographs, posters, postcards and other visual materials.
Women and Social Movements: This website is a project of the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Currently it contains 41 mini-monographs that interpret documents. Each mini-monograph poses an interpretive question and provides a collection of documents that address the question. Altogether the site includes almost 900 documents, nearly 400 images, and 350 links to other websites. There are currently twenty comprehensive lesson plans with over a hundred lesson ideas mounted in the Teacher's Corner.
Equal Rights Amendment: The 1920s debate between supporters and opponents of the Equal Rights Amendment in America generated antagonisms among feminists that continue to the present day. The disagreement in the 1920s was both strategic (what strategies best advanced the rights of women) and philosophical (what it meant to be a "woman"). One side supported the amendment out of a conviction that all women would benefit from a legal strategy that equated women's rights with men's rights. Others opposed the amendment because they thought that women needed to claim some rights different from men. This website provides an overview of the debate, a collection of relevant documents and biographies of the women involved in the debate.
Women, Society & Change: When the Liberal government came to power in 1906 there were many important issues facing the country. One of these issues was women's suffrage. Throughout the period 1906-18 dedicated groups of men and women campaigned for women to be able to vote in general elections in the same way as men. The material on this Public Record Office website deals with four issues: The campaign for the vote. The case for women's suffrage. The case against women's suffrage. Wider issues relating to women.
Clara Collet was a leading economist, statistician and champion of women's employment. Her success was always firmly of her own making. An early female university graduate, later a postgraduate and then teacher, she campaigned for the secondary education provision of girls at a time when it was negligible. Her other major contribution was in raising the status and position of working class women, becoming a Commissioner for the Royal Commission on Labour (!892). Collet later carved out a career as a civil servant at the Board of Trade and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. Of equal importance and interest to social and economic historians is the wide range of friendships and relationships she conducted in her life. She was close to the family of Karl Marx from an early age, particularly with Eleanor Marx, and with Beatrice Webb. Her working relationships with Charles Booth, Lloyd George, Ramsay MacDonald and Winston Churchill are also celebrated on this website.
Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale: In 1850 Kingston, Jamaica, was hit by a cholera epidemic. Mary Seacole, using herbal medicines, played an important role in dealing with this disease. During the Crimean War soldiers began going down with cholera and malaria. When Seacole heard about the epidemic she travelled to London to offer her services to the British Army. There was considerable prejudice against women's involvement in medicine and her offer was rejected. However, soon afterwards, the government changed its mind and sent Florence Nightingale and a team of thirty-nine nurses to treat the sick soldiers. Seacole visited Nightingale at her hospital at Scutari but once again her offer of help was refused. This classroom activity looks at the careers of these two remarkable women.
Charlotte Mason: According to Charlotte Mason (1842-1923): "Education is a life; that life is sustained on ideas; ideas are of spiritual origin, and that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another. The duty of parents is to sustain a child's inner life with ideas as they sustain his body with food." Mason, a schoolteacher and a a lecturer at Bishop Otter Teacher Training College in Chichester, wrote many books and pamphlets, started a training school for governesses which became the Charlotte Mason College. She also established the Parents National Education Union (PNEU). This website provides details of her life and work.
American Women: Unlike most American Memory presentations, American Women is not a collection of digital items. It is a gateway - a first stop for Library of Congress researchers working in the field of American women's history. The site contains a expanded and fully searchable version of the print publication American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States. The guide has been redesigned for online use, with added illustrations and links to existing digitized material located throughout the Library of Congress website. These materials are supplemented by a small number of newly digitized items that provide a sample of the many relevant types of materials available in Library of Congress holdings.
Music
By Women: This website provides a catalogue of recordings (CDs and tapes),
books and resource packs in 12 main sections, including acappella, feminist
and political, folk, world music and women composers from the 11th century to
the present day. Women composers featured include Hildegard of Bingen, Francesca
Caccini, Barbara Strozzi, Isabella Leonarda, Lucretia Vizzana, Maria Margherita
Grimani, Anna Amalie, Maria Agata Szymanowska, Louise Farrenc, Louise, Josephine
Lang, Clara Schumann, Cecile Chaminade, Ethel Smyth, Amy Beach, Alma Mahler,
Rebecca Clarke, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Elizabeth Lutyens, Grazyna Bacewicz, Minna
Keal, Lili Boulanger, Germaine Tailleferre and Priaulx Rainier.
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Educational Websites
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