Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.
The actual celebration of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society in 1978.
A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities, school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.
Sojourner Truth, a formerly enslaved abolitionist, embarked on a lecture tour to decry the ills of slavery and gender oppression. Sojourner delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech at the first Women’s Rights Conference in Akron, Ohio. She spoke powerfully: "I have heard much about the sexes being equal. I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now. As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart – why can't she have her little pint full? You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much – for we can't take more than our pint'll hold."
- Sojourner Truth, formerly enslaved abolitionist
The actual celebration of Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society in 1978.
A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities, school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.
Sojourner Truth, a formerly enslaved abolitionist, embarked on a lecture tour to decry the ills of slavery and gender oppression. Sojourner delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech at the first Women’s Rights Conference in Akron, Ohio. She spoke powerfully: "I have heard much about the sexes being equal. I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now. As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart – why can't she have her little pint full? You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much – for we can't take more than our pint'll hold."
- Sojourner Truth, formerly enslaved abolitionist
Celebrate Women's History Month with a free Resource Toolkit, exploring the histories of Black women visionaries, builders, creators, thinkers and more (click the photo), courtesy of womenshistory.org!
