There are plenty of women who have made an impact on this world–more than you may think! From inventing new medical procedures to being crucial parts of the Revolutionary War, here are five important women from history that you may not know about.
1. Patricia Bath (1942-)
(Photo courtesy of Kentakepage.com)
Patricia Bath was born in Harlem, New York, in 1942 and is not only the first African American to complete a residency for opthamology, but she is also the first African American female to recieve a patent. She is credited with the invention of laser eye suregry in 1986 and has recieved awards such as the Madamoiselle magazine’s Merit Award in 1960.
2. Frances Perkins (1882-1965)
(Photo courtesy of Tomlin Coggeshall)
Frances Perkins was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1882 and was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Cabinet. While earning her M.A. in Economics and Soiology from Columbia Univerisity in New York City, she witnessed the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 young women. It was that moment she decided she must do sonething in order to prevent tragedies like that from occurring agian. She spent a great portion of her career fighting women’s working conditions. She was promoted to Secretary of Labor by President Franklin Roosevelt in March of 1933 and continued to serve in that position until July 1945.
3. Sybil Ludington (1761-1839)
(Photo courtesy of American Legion Auxiliary Blog)
Sybil Ludington was a Patriot who took it into her own hands to warn the Patriot soldiers of the British soldiers arrival–at age 16! Paul Revere is generally the one credited with this action, but many are unware of this young girl’s brave actions. In 1777 her father, Colonel Ledugington, received word that the Bristish troops were attacking a nearby town. Sybil bravely took the job of riding through the night to warn the rest of the Patriots. Her actions were monumental in the war as she rode over 20 miles in the woods to assist the Patroits’ war efforts.
4. Agent 355
(Photo courtesy of The Bowery Boys)
Agent 355’s exact identity is unknown, but she served as a spy for George Washington during the Revoltionary War. She was described as a charming socilaite in Manhatten, but was also one of George Washington’s most trusted spies. Unfortunately, she vanished prior to the end of the Revoltionary War, and her remains were never found.
5. Shirley Crisholm (1924-2005)
(Photo courtesy of The Cut)
Shirely Crisholm was born in New York in 1924 in a poverty stricken family. She was a budding politician who served as a teacher until she was promoted to a consultant for the Bureau of Child Welfare. It was in 1668 she became the first African American woman to serve Congress, and in 1972 she became the first African American woman to run for a presidential nomination.
It is clear that many women have been crucial in this county’s history, yet are unknown to most people. Who are some notable women that you believe history has overlooked?