Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #womenshistorymonth
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For Women’s History Month, consider the ways in which enslaved women & girls were disproportionately harmed by their enslavers and the U.S. legal system, and how this legacy continues in our legal system today. 1/11 Thread: 
⚠️: slavery and physical & sexual abuse.
Slavery disproportionately harmed enslaved women and girls by subjecting them to higher rates of excessive physical and sexual abuse. The U.S. court system directly participated in upholding slavery by carrying out auctions 2/11
Slavery disproportionately harmed enslaved women and girls by subjecting them to higher rates of excessive physical and sexual abuse. The U.S. court system directly participated in upholding slavery by carrying out auctions 2/11
and enforcing contracts for the sale of enslaved people. The enslavement of individuals, and the disproportionate violence towards enslaved women & girls was upheld and supported by the U.S. legal system. 3/11
SOLDIER PROFILE – SERGEANT LEIGH ANN HESTER, FIRST WOMAN AWARDED THE SILVER STAR FOR VALOR
SGT Leigh Ann Hester became the first woman awarded the Silver Star for combat valor through her actions on 20th MAR 2005, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
#Armyhistory #USArmy
SGT Leigh Ann Hester became the first woman awarded the Silver Star for combat valor through her actions on 20th MAR 2005, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
#Armyhistory #USArmy
While escorting a supply convoy near Baghdad in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, SGT Hester’s squad was ambushed by a group of approximately 50 insurgents armed with AK-47’s, heavy machine guns, and RPG’s.
#OperationIraqiFreedom #SilverStar #NationalGuard #Diversity #TRADOC
#OperationIraqiFreedom #SilverStar #NationalGuard #Diversity #TRADOC
Outnumbered 5 to 1 and taking withering fire, Hester’s squad leader directed the squad to flank the enemy position in a nearby trench line and orchard. Hester positioned her vehicle so that her gunner could enfilade the enemy positions and dismounted. #WomensHistoryMonth
🧵The first Black woman to run for the VP of the United States, one of the first African American women to own and run a newspaper, sued by the KKK, and suspected of Communist leanings to say Charlotta Bass was influential would be an understatement. #WomensHistoryMonth
The details of her Bass’s early life are murky, with accounts claiming she was born anywhere from 1874-1888, in Sumner South Carolina or Rhode Island.
By 1900 Bass was living in Rhode Island with one of her elder brothers. It would be there that she got her start in the newspaper industry selling subscriptions for the Providence Watchman.
20 March 2005 - THE PALM SUNDAY AMBUSH - RAVEN FOUR-TWO
A #MilitaryPolice squad from the 617th MP Company of the Kentucky #ArmyNationalGuard whose call sign was Raven Four-Two, was shadowing a 30 vehicle supply convoy.
A #MilitaryPolice squad from the 617th MP Company of the Kentucky #ArmyNationalGuard whose call sign was Raven Four-Two, was shadowing a 30 vehicle supply convoy.
The convoy was ambushed by 50 Al-Qaeda insurgents using machine gun fire and RPG's in the largest ambush of the war. The three Humvees of Raven Four-Two with 10 personnel rushed into the kill zone to protect the convoy and prevent the enemy's escape.
During the 40 minute fire-fight, the squad leader, SSG Tim Nein and a team leader SGT Leigh Ann Hester, exposed themselves to enemy fire by moving through two trenches using rifle fire, throwing hand grenades and firing M203 Grenades to clear the trenches.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's influential book Uncle Tom's Cabin was published #OTD in 1852. Stowe's anti-slavery novel was a huge success and pushed many Americans to reassess their attitudes toward slavery. Only the Bible sold more copies than Uncle Tom's Cabin during the 19 century.
Although Uncle Tom's Cabin had a profound effect on the anti-slavery movement, it did have flaws. For instance, Stowe developed the characters around negative Black stereotypes that eventually became standard talking points for proslavery supporters and white supremacists.
You can read Uncle Tom's Cabin for free here:
gutenberg.org/ebooks/203
#history #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #TodayinHistory #WomensHistoryMonth #womenshistory #WomensHistoryMonth2023 #uncletomscabin #harrietbeecherstowe #thecivilwardoc
gutenberg.org/ebooks/203
#history #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #TodayinHistory #WomensHistoryMonth #womenshistory #WomensHistoryMonth2023 #uncletomscabin #harrietbeecherstowe #thecivilwardoc
In #WomensHistoryMonth (which is every month as far as I’m concerned but, still, hashtags etc etc) I’m highlighting some Thames Foreshore mudlarked finds that have links to women who either worked on the river or whose forgotten stories are told through these artefacts #mudlark
From the top, left to right:
• a handful of mostly Tudor-era, poss later, aglets. These were made of copper alloy, or silver/gold for high status people, some beautifully decorated, and protected the ends of cord or lace. We still use them, tho’ plastic, on our shoe laces 2/
• a handful of mostly Tudor-era, poss later, aglets. These were made of copper alloy, or silver/gold for high status people, some beautifully decorated, and protected the ends of cord or lace. We still use them, tho’ plastic, on our shoe laces 2/
- aglets cont. Women were involved both in aglet-making workshops and records from their Guild show that some of them ran aglet workshops if inherited from a husband.
• a 15th/16th century Pinner’s Bone, or Pinholder, found by me on the Thames last month, a dream find 3/
• a 15th/16th century Pinner’s Bone, or Pinholder, found by me on the Thames last month, a dream find 3/
I thought I'd live tweet my thoughts on Christine McGuiness: Unmasking My Autism.
#UnmaskingMyAutism #ActuallyAutistic #WomensHistoryMonth #Girls #GenderMinorities
#UnmaskingMyAutism #ActuallyAutistic #WomensHistoryMonth #Girls #GenderMinorities
Its living in conflict [hiding herself].
I totally get this as a trans Autistic ADHDer with chronic issues. I'm exciting to see what the programme brings and what Christine shares.
I totally get this as a trans Autistic ADHDer with chronic issues. I'm exciting to see what the programme brings and what Christine shares.
I understand myself more after diagnosis.
She is hyper sensitive with noise and smells like me! I also assumed i was like other people with my sensory experiences.
She is hyper sensitive with noise and smells like me! I also assumed i was like other people with my sensory experiences.
Helene Weber, hatte angeblich immer 1 Stück Schokolade für den Kanzler dabei. Die Sozialpolitikerin kannte Adenauer noch aus Weimarer Zeiten u wusste um seine Schwächen: er hing einem hoffnungslosen Patriachalismus an - und er liebte Süßes. Aber Weber konnte auch anders.
Als Adenauer 1961 erneut sein Versprechen brach, eine Frau ins Kabinett zu nehmen, organisierte sie einen Sitzstreik. Mit Erfolg: Elisabeth Schwarzhaupt wurde die 1. Ministerin der Bundesrepublik.
Vor 142 Jahren wurde Helene Weber geboren.
#DieErstenihrerArt #WomensHistoryMonth
Vor 142 Jahren wurde Helene Weber geboren.
#DieErstenihrerArt #WomensHistoryMonth
Übrigens: Eigentlich wäre die Juristin Schwarzhaupt die ideale Justizministerin gewesen, aber Adenauer lehnte das ab, mit dem Verweis darauf, dass mit Hilde Benjamin in der DDR bereits eine Frau diesen Posten inne habe. Welch bestechende Logik es allerdings erlaubte quasi jeden
WOMEN IN THE ARMY HIGHLIGHTS - 1802-1882
Between 1802 and 1882 Congress authorized the Army to hire laundresses. The women, who were the wives of enlisted men, received official rations. Their pay, however, came from the soldiers for whom they worked.
Between 1802 and 1882 Congress authorized the Army to hire laundresses. The women, who were the wives of enlisted men, received official rations. Their pay, however, came from the soldiers for whom they worked.
During the Civil War the Army hired thousands of women as nurses, cooks, matrons, laundresses, seamstresses, and waitresses. Many of these were African Americans who either had escaped from slavery or been liberated by the Army.
Some of the nurses served in field hospitals and came under enemy fire. As in the Revolutionary War, a few women disguised themselves as men and served in combat.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #WomensHistoryMonth #TRADOC #MilitaryHistory @USArmy @TRADOC
#Armyhistory #USArmy #WomensHistoryMonth #TRADOC #MilitaryHistory @USArmy @TRADOC
1/14
#WomensHistoryMonth
Eleanor Roosevelt:
The woman who set the standard for modern first ladies to help their fellow citizens
BY: JOHNNA RIZZO
#WomensHistoryMonth
Eleanor Roosevelt:
The woman who set the standard for modern first ladies to help their fellow citizens
BY: JOHNNA RIZZO
2/14
Even though Eleanor Roosevelt was born into a well-to-do New York family on October 11, 1884, she did not have a happy childhood. By the time she was 10 years old, she had lost both her parents and a younger brother.
Even though Eleanor Roosevelt was born into a well-to-do New York family on October 11, 1884, she did not have a happy childhood. By the time she was 10 years old, she had lost both her parents and a younger brother.
3/14
Her grandmother, whose care she was under, was a stern woman and kept her away from almost everyone except a few family members.
Her grandmother, whose care she was under, was a stern woman and kept her away from almost everyone except a few family members.
TRIVIA TUESDAY: The Victory Book Campaign
The Victory Book Campaign (VBC) was a nationwide book drive est. in 1941 by the American Library Association, the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organizations (USO). It provided books to those serving overseas during #WWII
The Victory Book Campaign (VBC) was a nationwide book drive est. in 1941 by the American Library Association, the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organizations (USO). It provided books to those serving overseas during #WWII
The VBC’s first national director was Althea Warren. She took a leave of absence from her job as head librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library to oversee the campaign. Warren contacted librarians across the country to volunteer with her. #WomensHistoryMonth @USArmy @TRADOC
Warren created specialized committees to handle the VBC’s publicity, book collection, and book distribution. She got other organizations to participate in the VBC, including book publishers, universities, the Works Projects Association, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
1/9
#WomensHistoryMonth
Rosa Parks:
How her refusal to give up her seat sparked a movement
BY: C.M. TOMLIN
#WomensHistoryMonth
Rosa Parks:
How her refusal to give up her seat sparked a movement
BY: C.M. TOMLIN
2/9
Rosa Parks stood up for African Americans—by sitting down.
Although Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation granted slaves their freedom, for many years Black people were discriminated against in much of the United States.
Rosa Parks stood up for African Americans—by sitting down.
Although Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation granted slaves their freedom, for many years Black people were discriminated against in much of the United States.
3/9
In southern states, for instance, most Black children were forced to attend separate schools from white kids in classrooms that were often rundown, with outdated books.
In southern states, for instance, most Black children were forced to attend separate schools from white kids in classrooms that were often rundown, with outdated books.
1/14
#WomensHistoryMonth
Florence Nightingale
The nurse who changed hospitals for the better
BY: JOHNNA RIZZO
#WomensHistoryMonth
Florence Nightingale
The nurse who changed hospitals for the better
BY: JOHNNA RIZZO
2/14
Florence Nightingale just wanted to help. As a young woman in England in the 1840s, she saw how hard it was for poor people to get help when they were sick.
Florence Nightingale just wanted to help. As a young woman in England in the 1840s, she saw how hard it was for poor people to get help when they were sick.
3/14
She wanted to be a nurse, but her rich parents thought that the job was beneath her, that she should instead marry a wealthy man. Defying what most women of her time would do, she went to Germany to study nursing.
She wanted to be a nurse, but her rich parents thought that the job was beneath her, that she should instead marry a wealthy man. Defying what most women of her time would do, she went to Germany to study nursing.
UNIT PROFILE – BATTERY X #WWII
With the establishment of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in World War II, women entered military service as something other than nurses for the first time.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WW2 #WW2History #WomensHistoryMonth
With the establishment of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in World War II, women entered military service as something other than nurses for the first time.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WW2 #WW2History #WomensHistoryMonth
The original concept for the WAAC was to assign women to critical non-combat roles and “free a man to fight.” They were expressly excluded from combat-related duties, and – as the name "auxiliary" implied – were not considered a formal part of the Army.
#MilitaryHistory
#MilitaryHistory
However, Army Chief of Staff GEN George C. Marshall experimented with allowing women to serve in a limited combat role as range-finder operators with anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) units of the Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) in the Continental United States beginning in 1942.
1/13
#WomensHistoryMonth
Ada Lovelace:
The computer programmer who had ideas long before there were computers
BY: ELIZABETH HILFRANK
#WomensHistoryMonth
Ada Lovelace:
The computer programmer who had ideas long before there were computers
BY: ELIZABETH HILFRANK
2/13
Most wealthy women of the 1800s did not study math and science. Ada Lovelace excelled at them—and became what some say is the world’s first computer programmer.
Most wealthy women of the 1800s did not study math and science. Ada Lovelace excelled at them—and became what some say is the world’s first computer programmer.
3/13
Born in England on December 10, 1815, Ada was the daughter of the famous poet Lord George Byron and his wife, Lady Anne Byron. Her father left the family just weeks after Ada’s birth, but her mother insisted that her daughter have expert tutors to teach her math and science.
Born in England on December 10, 1815, Ada was the daughter of the famous poet Lord George Byron and his wife, Lady Anne Byron. Her father left the family just weeks after Ada’s birth, but her mother insisted that her daughter have expert tutors to teach her math and science.
SOLDIER PROFILE – CATHAY WILLIAMS, FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO ENLIST IN U.S. ARMY
Before the U.S. Army permitted them to enlist, some women, like Cathay Williams, sought to serve their country by joining the Army disguised as men.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WomensHistoryMonth
Before the U.S. Army permitted them to enlist, some women, like Cathay Williams, sought to serve their country by joining the Army disguised as men.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WomensHistoryMonth
Born into slavery in 1844, Williams lived in an area of Missouri that was captured by the Union in 1861. Williams became a camp follower attached to various Union armies and mostly performed a cook’s duties through the remainder of the war.
#MilitaryHistory #Diversity @USArmy
#MilitaryHistory #Diversity @USArmy
Not wishing to leave the Army life, Williams disguised herself as a man, took the name “William Cathey,” and enlisted in NOV 1866. She was assigned to the 38th Infantry Regiment, one of the newly formed all-Black U.S. Army regiments referred to as “Buffalo Soldiers.” @TRADOC
One name stood out in 1890s women's cycle racing: Belgian Hélène Dutrieu. Winner of multiple track cycling titles including the world championship, the Course de 12 Jours, & the Grand Prix d’Europe, she was cycling's first female superstar. But that was only the beginning.🧵
Women's racing didn't pay, and Dutrieu surprised the world by abandoning racing in 1898 to become an actress/comedienne & bicycling stuntwoman in Paris. Her signature act was called La Flèche Humaine - The Human Arrow - a death-defying mid-air loop-the-loop.
Dutrieu's first attempt resulted in a horrible crash.
“In the beginning I had heart palpitations before I got on the bike, my hands were shaking a bit, it felt like someone was choking my throat. But once I'm on the bike, that's all gone."
“In the beginning I had heart palpitations before I got on the bike, my hands were shaking a bit, it felt like someone was choking my throat. But once I'm on the bike, that's all gone."
#WomensHistoryMonth
Let’s talk about witches in medieval history! (A Thread)
But, before we get to witches, we need to address the elephant in the room, Joan of Arc. Who was not executed as a witch. So we will go over her first.
Let’s talk about witches in medieval history! (A Thread)
But, before we get to witches, we need to address the elephant in the room, Joan of Arc. Who was not executed as a witch. So we will go over her first.
First off, Joan of Arc never referred to herself by that name. She referred to herself as Jehanne la Pucelle, or, Joan the Maiden. In fact, her name Joan of Arc is a lie, told more than 100 years after her death in Britain. There is no town called “Arc” in France.
At this time, surnames were fluid. In fact, many people took their mother’s surname, if they had one at all. Joan seemed to eschew all surnames though, preferring to be referred to as a commoner, as a matter of principle.
1/ The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The first Black person in Salem, Massachusetts, to formally teach white students. The longest-serving first lady.
To mark #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re sharing essays from women in history whose work appears in our pages:
To mark #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re sharing essays from women in history whose work appears in our pages:
2/ Charlotte Forten Grimké was an educator and abolitionist who wrote with forceful moral urgency. She was the first Black woman to appear in the pages of The Atlantic.
Read: “Life on the Sea Islands,” May 1864: on.theatln.tc/KN6Tdft
Read: “Life on the Sea Islands,” May 1864: on.theatln.tc/KN6Tdft
3/ If you know anything about Helen Keller, it's about her experience as a deaf and blind person in America. But Keller’s “writing about other subjects is incandescent,” @elcush once noted.
Read: “Put Your Husband in the Kitchen,” August 1932: on.theatln.tc/8gHsv32
Read: “Put Your Husband in the Kitchen,” August 1932: on.theatln.tc/8gHsv32
Florence Nightingale David – a pioneering statistician who carried out vital wartime work which saved many lives during the Blitz.
Let’s explore her story…
HO-196-32
Let’s explore her story…
HO-196-32
Born in in 1909, David’s parents had been friends with the Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale, who she was named after. She studied Mathematics at Bedford College for Women, going on to join UCL as a research assistant in statistics and completing her doctorate in 1938.
In June 1939, David was called upon to be an experimental officer to the Board of Ordnance. Within a year, she was transferred to the Ministry of Home Security Research and Experiments Department. It is this work that surfaces in The National Archives’ collection.
WISDOM WEDNESDAY – COLONEL OVETA CULP HOBBY, HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN IN #WWII
"Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women. This was a people's war, and everyone was in it."
– COL Oveta Culp Hobby, first director of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)
"Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women. This was a people's war, and everyone was in it."
– COL Oveta Culp Hobby, first director of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)
A dedicated civil servant and lifelong advocate for women in American public life, COL Oveta Culp Hobby helped open the door to women serving in uniform in the active components of the U.S. Army.
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WAC #WW2 #WW2History #WomensHistoryMonth
#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WAC #WW2 #WW2History #WomensHistoryMonth
Culp Hobby’s service to the nation began in 1941, when she became the leader of the War Dept. Women’s Interest Section. She held this role until 1942, when she was appointed to lead the new Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), an Army auxiliary meant to fill manpower gaps.
Happy #InternationalWomensDay!
The threads of women’s experiences weave throughout our records; from monarchs to paupers, suffrage campaigners to Black power protestors.
COPY 1/494
The threads of women’s experiences weave throughout our records; from monarchs to paupers, suffrage campaigners to Black power protestors.
COPY 1/494
The voices of men mostly frame our collections, reflecting the historic interests of government and past societies.
However, women have fought to be listened to and have acted as agents for change. When women were disruptive, they have tended to leave archival footprints.
However, women have fought to be listened to and have acted as agents for change. When women were disruptive, they have tended to leave archival footprints.
It must be recognised however that while women’s voices are marginalised in our records, this is often compounded when people faced other factors of marginalisation and oppression; such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and disability.
Phyllis (Toby) Tobias was a Women’s Auxiliary Service Pilot, spending time at Santa Ana Army Air Base.
WASPs were women pilots who tested aircraft and trained other flyers. Their work freed male pilots for combat roles during WWII.
#WomensHistoryMonth
WASPs were women pilots who tested aircraft and trained other flyers. Their work freed male pilots for combat roles during WWII.
#WomensHistoryMonth
“Mom co-piloted a B-24 where she met Dad,” Toby’s son Lex Felker (@n4lf) said. “Asleep with his aviator shades on.”
Toby and her family lived in Wiesbaden in the late 1950s, where Lex delivered Stars and Stripes to servicemen and their families.
Toby and her family lived in Wiesbaden in the late 1950s, where Lex delivered Stars and Stripes to servicemen and their families.
Years later, after her children were grown, Toby involved herself in the successful effort to have WASPs receive full military recognition. She received the Congressional Gold Medal and is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Thank you for your service, Toby!
Thank you for your service, Toby!
SOLDIER PROFILE – MARGARET CORBIN, AN UNLIKELY REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO (MOLLY PITCHER)
Although they could not enlist, women provided critical support to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Some, like Margaret Corbin, even distinguished themselves in combat.
Although they could not enlist, women provided critical support to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Some, like Margaret Corbin, even distinguished themselves in combat.
Corbin’s time with the Continental Army began as a “camp follower,” a civilian who traveled with the army and attended to the needs of soldiers as cooks and washerwomen. Like many camp followers, she was married to a soldier, John Corbin, who served as an artillerist. @USArmy
In NOV 1776, Margaret and John Corbin were among the Continentals left to garrison Ft. Washington, the last Patriot stronghold on the island of Manhattan. Although confronted by a vastly superior British force, the Continentals fought bravely against impossible odds. #USArmy
